RTI fought off hunger for these BPL families

Vijaysinh Parmar/TNN/Rajkot: The written word can’t fight pangs of hunger, but a Right to Information (RTI) application can. If some of the poorest families of Fulzar village in Jasdan taluka of Rajkot are not living a desperate hand-tomouth existence today, it is largely because one among them filed an RTI application and exposed loopholes in the Public Distribution System. Farmer Laxman Chauhan, 25, has ensured that his family, and others like him, don’t have to live a desperate hand-to-mouth existence any more by demanding to know his right under RTI. In the last few months, the families have started receiving the ration entitled to them under the Central government’s Antyodaya Anna Yojana, a specific scheme for families who are the poorest of the poor even among those living below poverty line (BPL). Chauhan filed the RTI application five months back to know the amount of ration entitled to BPL, above poverty line (APL) and Antyodaya families. He sought all details including the number of BPL, APL and Antyodaya families in his village, how much ration (wheat, rice, kerosene and sugar) was distributed in the village and how much ration should reach beneficiaries of the Antyodaya scheme. “When we received the reply under RTI, we came to know that Antyodaya card holders are entitled to 16.5 kg wheat at Rs 2 price per kg every month. Also, each Antyodaya card holder is entitled to 16 kg rice at Rs 3 per kg every month from fair price shops. But the ground reality was Antyodaya families in our village barely got five kg rice and 5 kg wheat every month. After the RTI application, everyone gets the full ration,’’ says Chauhan. “We accepted whatever was given under the scheme as we had no idea what was entitled to us. Now that we know and ask for it, we get it,” says Vallabha Sarviya, an Antyodaya card holder and casual laborer in Fulzar. “There are 318 ration card holders in our village. Of them, 12 are Antyodaya card holders, 32 BPL card holders and the rest of holders are APL. A single RTI application has given them their right on their doorstep,” says Chauhan.