ONE month is all a government department gets to furnish information under the right to information (RTI) Act. Instead, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has allegedly used that period to persuade an applicant to withdraw his petition. On March 19 this year, S Samayan of T Kallupatti natural resource protection committee filed an RTI application seeking information on stone crushers in Kilankulam, Vannivelanpatti and Ammapatti panchayats at T Kallupatti in Madurai. The information sought included the number of licensed stone crushers in the area, pollution control norms that are expected to be followed, actions taken by the TNPCB against the crushers that violated pollution norms in the last two years and the plight of the workers in the crushers. He withdrew the application on April 16. Villagers of the three panchayats are suffering from respiratory problems because of dust from about 14 stone-crushing units. As the complaints made to the district administration, the TNPCB and the Chief Minister's Cell proved futile, Samayan filed the RTI petition. TNPCB officials allegedly tipped off stone-crushing units about the petition. On April 15, on behalf of the stone-crushing units, Murugesan of Azhagappa Blue Metals, Kilangulam, requested Samayan to withdraw the petition. He gave an assurance in writing that all units would follow the pollution control measures. Next day Samayan re , lented and withdrew the petition. Speaking to Express, TNPCB official A Palaniswamy said that there was no requirement to provide the information as the petition was withdrawn. Meetchi Makkal Iyakkam, an NGO revealed how the stone crushers bought peace. Angayarkanni of People's Watch, a human rights outfit, wondered why TNPCB officers wanted Samayan to withdraw his petition. She sought the intervention of the State Information Commissioner in the issue.