“We have received around 60,000 RTI applications since the act was enforced. Less than 100 have been from women,” said Sudhir Joshi, who was the principal Information officer at Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) till about six months ago.

The airport, railway and bus authorities reported dismal response from women as well. Public Information Officer at the Lohegaon Airport since September 2006, P P Nikhar said that most of the queries under RTI were pertaining to the airport facilities and operational work as the Lohegaon Airport is currently undergoing runway renovation and re-carpeting work. While he has received less than 50 applications over the last year and a half, none have been from women. The PIO of the Pune Division of the Central Railways said that five women have filed for information in the present financial year, which will draw to an end with March. “We have received 127 applications in all. Three of the five applications from women asked for information with respect to cleanliness, one wanted to know about unions and their functions while the other asked who had been awarded the contract to wash linen,” he said. “In my tenure as PIO, I have received just one application from a woman. Her husband had been evading alimony by telling her that the company had suspended him. She got information about how many hours he has been working. It worked well for her,” said Nitin Ghogare, PIO, PMPML.