An effort to get ration card for poor and deserving villagers - Part-I

Ration Card holders in Tamil Nadu are getting free rice of 25 kg per month through Public Distribution System (PDS) from the date of 01.06.2011, in addition to other subsidized food-grains. However, the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai was reluctant to issue new ration card to the eligible residents of our villages namely Thiruppeyar Thakka, Thiruppeyar, and Pudukeni. This is, in spite of the fact that, they have applied for the same. 

I came across four ration card applicants, who applied for a ration card at the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai way back in 09.01.2012, 11.12.2013, 11.08.2015 & 07.01.2014. They narrated their ordeals because of lack of ration card and also complained about the irresponsible attitude and inaction of the Taluka Supply Officer. 

In an effort to get ration card to them, I drafted RTI application for them seeking the reason for extra-ordinate delay in issuing ration card, which was sent on 29.06.2016 to the Public Information Officer, Taluka Supply Office. However, it did not elicit any response within the prescribed time of 48 hours.

Therefore, under RTI Act, the first appeal dated 15.07.2016 was sent by all of the above four applicants. For that, the First Appellate Authority, who is also District Supply Officer at that time, replied via letters no.Na.ka.S2/5596/2016 to Na.Ka.S2/5599/2016 dated NIL.08.2016, by stating that “due to some administrative reason printing of ration card has been stopped temporarily and recently we have been instructed to start verification process again on the pending ration card applications according to government rules and thereafter, would be sent to District Supply Officer’s office for printing”.

There was no development regarding ration card until September 2016. Therefore, those four applicants issued legal notice on 01.09.2016 demanding ration card and compensation for the extraordinary delay and the same has been sent to the Taluka Supply Officer (Ulundurpettai), District Supply Officer (Villupuram) and District Collector, Villupuram. In spite of that, there was no response from any of the officers. Finally, in the month of February 2017, the applicants got their new ration cards.

In order to get the basic thing done from the public authority without paying a bribe, they had to fight for their rights by sending RTI applications, first appeals and legal notices. They (four applicants) had to incur Rs.200/- each for documentation and postal charges. In spite of this, they had to wait for many months. 

This is the reality of the working of the Taluka Supply Office, Ulundurpettai and nothing has been changed till this day. Rule of Law nowhere exists in their office.

 I will explain about my next stage of effort in the next blog.