MNREGA scam - 65-year-old RTI activist attacked in Rajasthan

Jaipur: On February 2, even as Sonia Gandhi was speaking out against corruption in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a 65-year-old RTI applicant from Bikaner in Rajasthan was brutally attacked after he tried to expose corruption in the MNREGA work. The ex-Sarpanch was allegedly beaten up by supporters of the current Sarpanch.

Dudhram had complained to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) about the allocation of Rs 4 crore for clearing sand. Dudhram was allegedly attacked by relatives of the present Sarpanch in the Somalsar village.

"We were raising a valid point against corruption. We complained to the collector and to the ACB. A team was sent from Jaipur which triggered this. They decided they would beat me up if I did not go quiet on it. They may've attacked me but others will stand up against it," Dhudaram said.

Dudhram is now in the ICU at a Jaipur hospital with multiple fractures. Despite an FIR against 10 accused, no arrests have been made so far. Social activists are now demanding an audit to expose corruption in the area.

"Here are people trying to get social sector programmes to work and here is the system that's not responding. And allowing thing to come to a point where if anyone raises their voice they will be beaten up," Social activist Nikhil Dey said.

Dhudaram's is far from being the first case of an RTI applicant being attacked in Rajasthan. Last year RTI activist Manglaram from Barmer suffered the same fate. Despite the rhetoric against corruption, the government seems to be failing to protect whistle blowers.

Posted in: Crime