Where’s my promised Rs15 lakh, RTI applicant asks PM

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to respond to a Right to Information applicant who has asked when the Rs15 lakh promised by Narendra Modi during the 2014 elections will be deposited in his account.

The direction from the CIC came after Kanhaiya Lal from Jhalawar district of Rajasthan filed an RTI application with the PMO seeking to know the status of his representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Among other details mentioned in the representation sent to the PMO, CIC Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur noted that Lal had queried of the PMO, ''At the time of election, it was announced that black money will be brought back to India and Rs15 lakh will be deposited in the account of each poor person. The complainant wants to know what happened to that.''

Citing Lal's plea, Mathur noted, ''The complainant wants an answer from the Hon'ble Prime Minister that while it was announced during the election that corruption will be removed from the country, it has ''increased to 90 per cent'' and wants to know when the new law will be made for the removal of corruption from the country.''

Lal also mentioned in his plea that the benefits of schemes announced by the government are only limited to the rich and capitalists and do not reach poor people.

He also wanted to know whether the 40 per cent concessions in tickets given by the Congress government to the senior citizens travelling by rail is going to be withdrawn by the present government.

The PMO official present during the hearing said they had not received Lal's plea and hence they could not answer it.

''The respondent is directed to send a reply to the complainant on his RTI application within 15 days of this order,'' Mathur said in his order.