CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY – CALCUTTA ZOO
REQUEST UNDER RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT 2005. : CALCUTTA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
Please provide the following information regarding Calcutta Zoo :
1. The number of visitors to the Calcutta Zoo, in winter is in lakhs of people on some days. Unlimited thousands of visitors being allowed into the Calcutta Zoo is causing severe distress to the animals and birds. Therefore, has the Central Zoo Authority made any study on the impact of thousands of visitors, unlimited in number to the Calcutta Zoo ? Provide a copy of reports/correspondence/studies and/or complaints to the Authority ?
2. Has the Central Zoo Authority developed any specifications, as per International standards, to limit the number of persons to the Calcutta Zoo ? If the specifications/rules have not been developed, can the Authority provide a date by which these crowd control rules will be implemented at Calcutta Zoo ?
3. What is the opinion of the Zoo Authority on crowd/visitors ?
a)Is it true that the Zoo is only for the pleasure of people ?
b) Or is the Zoo a habitat for animals and birds and emphasis will be on the welfare and proper environment of the animals and birds
c) Provide copies of audited accounts of the Calcutta Zoo, showing the daily sale of visitors tickets or quarterly (3 month) sales of visitors tickets.
d) Whether any malpractice has been detected in sale of visitor tickets ? What action has been taken ?
e) Copies of the work orders given for printing visitors tickets in 20009, 2010, and 2011 ?
f) Tickets : Additional information : i) How many tickets were printed ? ii) Name of the printing press which printed the tickets ? iii) What arrangements are made to secure the printed tickets after printing ? Is there a register of tickets printed, handed to whom and record of return of unsold tickets ?
4. Provide copies of the directions of Zoo Authority to Calcutta Zoo Director which concern the welfare of the animals and birds in the Zoo.
5. What is the rules regarding noise pollution in the Calcutta Zoo which causes great distress to the animals and birds ? Has the Central Authority any directions/plans to ban all noise making gadgets/instruments, electrical and mechanical, inside the Zoo ? Provide the rules.
6. Provide the rules for opening/running shops inside the Zoos.
b) How many shops have been opened inside the Calcutta Zoo the last five years (2006-2011) Provide full details of shops, permit owners, details of the permits issued and signing Authority.
c) how many shops were opened in 2001 t0 2005 ?
d) how many shops were opened between 1990 and 2001 ?
e) How many of the Calcutta Zoo employees and ex-employees are running/owning/managing shops or kiosks inside the Calcutta Zoo ?
7. Cooked food or any food consumed by humans is a great danger to animals and birds. Provide a copy of the rules for running food shops, kiosks, restaurants inside the Calcutta Zoo ?
8. Is the Central Zoo Authority any directions/plans to remove all shops, restaurants, eating places from inside Calcutta Zoo as they are a danger to the animals and birds ? Provide copies of complaints made about this subject and result of the complaints.
9.a) Provide copies of all correspondence, plans, permits of the new Food Plaza opened inside the Calcutta Zoo.
b) Provide full details or the permit granted to run Food Plaza inside the Calcutta Zoo.i) Name and address of the permit holder. ii) What are the terms and conditions of the permit/lease ? iii) Any permission sought from Central Zoo Authority or sanctions given ? Provide copies of these permits/sanctions and all correpondence.
You are requested to provide this information as per the rules of the RTI ACT.
We have drafted this RTI Application to make it better.We will file it soon.
To Director,
Director’s Office,
Calcutta Zoo,
Subject: Information requested under Right to Information Act.
Dear Sir,
I request you to answer the following questions relating under the Right to Information Act.
1. What are the maximum number of visitors permitted as per rules inside the Calcutta Zoo on a daily basis ? Give me the daily number of visitors who visited the Calcutta Zoo in the months of Nnovemebr, December of 2010 and in January and February months of 2011?Give me the names of people responsible to limit the number of visitors in the Calcutta Zoo?
2. Has the Central Zoo Authority developed any specifications, as per International standards, to limit the number of persons to the Calcutta Zoo ? If the specifications/rules have not been developed, can the Authority provide a date by which these crowd control rules will be implemented at Calcutta Zoo ?
3) Provide copies of audited accounts of the Calcutta Zoo, showing the daily sale of visitors tickets or quarterly (3 month) sales of visitors tickets.
4) What malpractices have been detected in sale of visitor tickets ? What action has been taken in case of each malpractice?
e) Copies of the work orders given for printing visitors tickets in 2009, 2010, and 2011?
f) i) How many tickets were printed in the year 2011 ? ii) Name of the printing press which printed the tickets? iii) What arrangements are made to secure the printed tickets after printing? Is there a register of tickets printed, handed to whom and record of return of unsold tickets?
4. Provide copies of the directions of Zoo Authority to Calcutta Zoo Director which concerns the welfare of the animals and birds in the Zoo.
5. What is the rules regarding noise pollution in the Calcutta Zoo which causes great distress to the animals and birds ? What steps have the zoo authorities taken to control noise and activities of visitors in the zoo?
6. a) Provide the rules for opening/running shops inside the Zoos.
b) How many shops have been opened inside the Calcutta Zoo the last five years (2006-2011) Provide full details of shops, permit owners, details of the permits issued(date of issue, duration for which the permit is issued) and the Authority signing the permits.
c) how many shops were opened in 2001 t0 2005 ?
d) how many shops were opened between 1990 and 2001 ?
e) How many of the Calcutta Zoo employees and ex-employees are running/owning/managing shops or kiosks inside the Calcutta Zoo ?Are they permitted to do so?If “yes” then give me the name of the authority that has given them these permissions?If “no” then by when will these illegal shops be closed?
7. Cooked food or any food consumed by humans is a great danger to animals and birds. Provide a copy of the rules for running food shops, kiosks, restaurants inside the Calcutta Zoo ?
8. What are the directions/plans made by the Central Zoo Authority to remove all shops, restaurants, eating places from inside Calcutta Zoo as they are a danger to the animals and birds ? Provide copies of complaints made about this subject and actions taken on each of the complaints.
9.a) Provide copies of all correspondence, plans, permits of the new Food Plaza opened inside the Calcutta Zoo.
b) Provide full details or the permit granted to run Food Plaza inside the Calcutta Zoo.i) Name and address of the permit holder. ii) What are the terms and conditions of the permit/lease ? iii) Any permission sought from Central Zoo Authority or sanctions given ? Provide copies of these permits/sanctions and all correpondence.
We have filed this RTI Application.Speed Post Consignment Number:
EW922413958IN
We will inform you as soon as we get a reply.
Great work. With the unique help of RTI.A. We will clear out the scamsters from so many areas of public life. You have a great vision. and we shall always be grateful to you.
Thank you so much sir for you motivating words and support.
Max Sir, Motivations and Support from Elders and Seniors like you, keeps us going. Now the fire within us will burn more and more !
Our application was rejected for this RTI citing reasons which were inadequate and insufficient.
Our experts are looking into further possible actions.
The reply we got was as follows:
This is a blatant rejection without sufficient reason completely violating the provisions of the RTI Act. This is almost a proof that replying to our RTI would have exposed corruption. So, we are re-categorizing it as RTI Leaks so that more people pay attention to the irregularities.
great work !! let us be the reason for change !!
We need to file this RTI again. to the Central Zoo authority direct or through the Central Information officers ? ..
We need to pursue these matter to file appeals to a Tribunal now. I understand that there is alot of work to do, but there is this question : If the govt. and babus feel that this group is not going to file appeals and take these matters further, then the govt. deptts. will obstruct RTI anonymous. If the volume of RTI questions has become too large, there has to be some method of taking up the ones that will bring the authorities to their senses. Some of the RTIs on the page ,to me, look frivolous, or not thought out, or seem to be following some line which is not quite clear. This non-filing of appeal will make our group redundant in the eyes of the corrupt govt. servants. Please refile this request to the CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY direct. I feel that it was a mistake to send it to Calcutta Zoo, because those chaps in Calcutta Zoo are a very arrogant lot and need to be given some lessons first, then they will follow the law. The first lesson is to teach them to respect the law and do it by sending this request now, to the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.