When data flows smoothly through the info pipe

Last week, at the G-7 Summit, India signed a Joint Statement reaffirming the norms and values that sustain democracies. Emphasis was placed on people’s fundamental rights and transparent and accountable governance. The Prime Minister even had a slogan for the occasion – ‘One Earth, One Health’ -- calling for global unity, leadership and solidarity, and emphasising the special responsibility of democratic and open societies to prevent future pandemics.

The right to health for all cannot be achieved without universal access to safe and sufficient water supply. The Centre launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in 2019, aiming to spend an estimated Rs 3.6 lakh crore to provide a functional tap water connection to every household. By 2024, JJM seeks to create systems for ensuring piped water supply in all rural and urban areas. Among the Centre’s schemes, JJM has received the biggest boost this year with an allocation of Rs 50,011 crore -- up from Rs 11,000 crore last year. On the Budget website, the government has published macro-level data of the total number of districts, blocks, gram panchayats, villages and settlements where 100 per cent coverage was accomplished under JJM last year.

Soon after the Budget was presented this year, I filed an online RTI application seeking granular information, such as the state-wise names and numbers of districts, blocks, gram panchayats, villages and settlements that were covered by the programme. Such information was not available either in the Budget documents or on the JJM website. The Ministry of Jal Shakti was requested to disclose this detailed information proactively, as per the mandate of Section 4(1) of the RTI Act.

Two weeks later, the CPIO of the Ministry put up a four-line response on the RTI Online Facility, suggesting that the information be sought from the states individually. He claimed that water, being a state subject, the Centre was only supplementing their efforts by providing technical and financial assistance.

Not willing to take this vague and evasive reply, I filed an appeal with the Ministry pointing out the absurdity of the CPIO’s claim. Without granular data, the Finance Ministry would not have been able to put out the macro-level information about JJM’s achievements. Surely, the Finance Ministry would have sourced the data from the Jal Shakti Ministry without having to ask each state separately. It was also pointed out that providing such vague replies amounted to causing obstruction in the flow of information -- a valid ground for imposing penalty on the CPIO.

The Ministry remained silent throughout the period of the second Covid lockdown. Three months later, I sent the appellate authority a reminder. Within 24 hours, the CPIO sent an email saying that the granular information was now available on the dashboard of the JJM website. He not only supplied the web link, but also furnished the state-wise numbers of districts that are 100 per cent covered and updated figures about the number of har ghar jal blocks, panchayats, villages and settlements. He even offered an apology for the “inconvenience caused.”

What was once a sarkari secret has now become information accessible at the click of a button. No need for formal RTI applications on this point, at least.

You can visit the Ejalshakti website to ascertain for yourself the latest JJM implementation data from the village to the state level. All of Telangana is said to be 100 per cent covered.

Former Central Information Commissioner Prof Sridhar Acharyulu describes RTI interventions as “10-Rupee PILs,” which can help resolve grievances and make the government more transparent and accountable than it likes to be, without citizens having to move the courts.

Transparency is the first step towards accountability. Anybody may download data from the JJM dashboard and conduct a social audit in each village, block or district -- Are the number of piped water connections verifiable at the ground level? Are the households getting adequate water supply, i.e., at least 55 litres per person, per day, the target of JJM? and so on. Empowering citizens in this manner is the end goal of the RTI Act.