My first RTI form and a kind, internet savvy lawyer. The journal continues.

Night 4 and the dogs are howling full force. My eyes are blood shot from lack of sleep and my breathing is strained. Needless to say, I'm awake. The heavy duty Bose headphones I'm wearing aren't doing much to keep the noise out. I'm sure most poor Indians can't afford these in the first place.

I'm up at 6 o'clock reading up on all on-going RTI classes in Pune and come across something at YASHDA at Baner Road. I find the contact information of one of the instructors and call him. He's a lawyer and his profile says he has extensive experience in the realm of RTI. "Please," I say, "I have to get into this class". I tell him about the problem with noisy stray dogs in my area and also tell him that I'm a willing learner and want to resolve the problem within the law. I'm obviously incredibly persuasive because he says I'm in. An hour later he sends me some very helpful information on the RTI (see the end of this post for the links and what they are about).

I wasn't lying to him when I said I was very motivated to do something about this. I read up on the material he sent me & here's what I did next:

1. I go to the Pune Municipal Corporation website & lodge a complaint under the "Health - Main Building" department and choose "stray dogs nuisance" as the topic. Here's the link to the complaint URL http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx
My complaint explicitly states that stray dogs have been keeping me awake for weeks and the dog-squad refuses to do anything about the dogs if they've already been neutered. I give them my details & the address of the problem areas. I request them to solve the problem. I submit the request, print the confirmation & save my complaint number.

2. I go to the Xerox shops near the Zilla Parishad in Pune and buy myself a few RTI forms and Rs.10 court stamps. RTI forms are also called "maahitichey adhikaar forms" so don't be surprised if you get blank looks when you say "RTI forms". Unfortunately it's not easy to get the ones printed in English (thank God I took Marathi as a second language in school!)

3. I fill out the form in Marathi, attach my questions to the PIO, Department of Health, PMC in Marathi (translation services are available in Pune but I used my mother's fantastic Marathi/English skills to get my questions translated). Please make sure your questions are very specific and focused (see end of this post for guidelines on writing these questions). If you ramble, are unclear or address various departments in one form, your request for information might be rejected. Keep the questions to a maximum of 5 and one department per form. Once you've completed the form, make a photocopy - the PMC official will need to stamp & date this as proof that you've submitted an RTI request. I will be posting a copy of my questions & the answer I receive (or don't receive) once I get them.

4. I go to the PMC main building in Pune, find the Health Department official on the 3rd floor (not easy, you have to ask around). None of the doors have 'PIO' (Public Information Officer) written on them.

5. I leave with the stamped "proof" and was told that they would contact me within 30 days to tell me the total cost of the request. I would need to pick it up in person.

An RTI form is not a complaint form. Don't seek accountability through it, only answers to specific questions. If you don't know how, seek out the help of an RTI volunteer in your area.

More later...
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External links:
-A Handbook on RTI, 2005. Under GoI-UNDP Project on capacity building on access to information (great, simple to understand information).
-Guidelines on how to write an effective RTI application http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/blogs/jps50/93-how-make-rti-application-effective.html
-Public Commission of Inquiry (Pune) complaint form (this is not an RTI form) https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEo2ZkpmTmhxTDNROTRwdkZSdUpBM0E6MQ
- PMC complaint portal http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx (remember to save your confirmation number).