Want to know how your elected representatives were spending public money? No need to file Right to Information applications for the same any more. The state government is planning to make the information available online. Most of the times applicants have to seek the information through RTI as elected representatives do not provide it voluntarily.

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In a reply to RTI activist Vihar Durve, public information officer and special work's officer of the state government's planning department said currently the required information is being provided on the website - http://www.mahasdb.Maharasthra.gov.in/MLALADS - on an experimental basis. However, when dna tried to surf the site, it did not open.

Through his application, Durve had sought to know the people in charge of looking after the website, reasons for such information not being available online among other things. "All this money is mostly used up by political workers. One needs to know where exactly the elected representative is spending his money. This is public money and there is no reason why people should not be knowing about it. In fact RTI has been around for 10 years. It is surprising that we still do not have a dedicated website like we have at the Centre," said Durve.

"All citizens have to participate in that (decision of spending funds) and hence they should have all details about it," he added. Officials from the planning department could not be contacted.

"This is something we also have been following up with the government. We feel that such information should be pro-active disclosure. We have to file RTIs and it takes us more than a month to get the answer. Now that officers know us, they know we will be filing applications. But there are instances when we would like to have more details with respect to work orders. That is of real interest to the people, which is not available and should be. If such information is available, it will be really helpful," said Milind Mhaske, project director at Praja Foundation which releases its annual reports on MLAs performances based on the information received through RTI.