'What is PMO's mobile number?': Here's what some people asked PM Modi

If you thought that RTI queries are only about serious issues, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) just proved you wrong. And how! [caption id=“attachment_2902290” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] We really wonder what PM Narendra Modi thinks of these RTI queries. AP[/caption] The PMO website released a list of queries about Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were raised by people under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The formal tone of the answers to the questions only makes the questions funnier and makes the entire list look like some form of parody. Here are some of the funniest excerpts from the list of queries released by the PMO website: Request: What is the speed of internet of Wi-Fi in the PMO? Information: The speed of internet access in PMO is 34 mbps. Request: How many and which type of cylinder had been used in kitchen in month of October, 2014. Provide Xerox copies of bills of cylinders and how many and which type of cylinder had been used in month of May, 2015. Please provide the copies of bills of cylinders in respective months. Information: It is stated that the kitchen expenses of the Prime Minister is personal in nature and not incurred on government account. Request: Has the Principal Secretary to PM, Shri Nripendra Misra, ever taken his subordinates, in the Prime Minister’s office, on a picnic? Information: No picnic/excursion was organized by PMO/Principal Secretary to PM Shri Nripendra Misra. Hence, the question of providing other details sought by the application does not arise. Request: Please tell me PMO Office issue (sic) mobile number for their staff yes or no if yes please provide all staff number in written Information: PMO provides mobile numbers to officers/staff based on entitlements and functional requirements. However, disclosure of the mobile numbers would cause unwarranted invasion of privacy of the individual; as such the same is exempted from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. Request: Is there any information (sic) how many sick or casual leave or health leave is availed by Prime Minister of India in the last 10 years? Information: It may be noted that no leave has been availed by the present Prime Minister i.e. Shri Narendra Modi since taking over office. We saved the best for the last: Request: Enclose all the proper records and documents which show that the present Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi is The Prime Servant of India and not the Prime Minister. Information: There is no proposal to change the official designation of PM. Hence, the information sought does not form part of records held by this office. Looking at some of the questions that were asked, we have come up with a list of our own queries for the PMO: • If the PM was deserted on an island, and he could choose only between Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal for company, whom would he choose? • How many times has the PM said ’m_itron_’? Enclose all the proper records and documents of the PM’s speeches in which he used the word ‘mitron’. • What is the Prime Minister’s favourite cartoon character? • What does the PM have to say about the colour of the dress: black and blue or white and gold? • What does Prime Minister Modi think about smart RTI queries like this one? • What does the Prime Minister prefer dhokla or fafda?