BPL Card holder denied the right in Chhattisgarh

Shri Bhim Rao Lodhi, president of "Right Thinking Indians Association" Chhattisgarh has sought information & document from the Public Information Officer, Durg Municipality. The PIO has rejected the RTI Application & denied Information & document on the ground that the BPL Card used by Shri Lodhi is an invalid document for getting the RTI document on free of cost. So, the provision of getting a facility of document has been made invalid by issuing a Circular by the Secretariat, Chhattisgah. The Circular says that BPL card which is in possession of Loadhiji has been issued for getting food ration. The Chhattisgarh Govt does not bear any responsibility. Even it is not discharging their  statutory responsibility of implementing a beneficial provision as stipulated in the RTI Act framed by Central Govt. The question arises as who will protest against this?

The BJP, they are the present Ruler of the State. So, the question of reversing the Circular is out of question.

The Congress Party. The Party which rules by distributing cash & liquor on the eve of election will coerce the CG Govt does not arise.

Any NGO. The NGOs has been formed to get aid in cash from Govt / foreign land. So protest by the NGOs is not possible. A dependent / beggar has no right to protest against her owner.

There is nobody. So, ultimately who thinks about the problems of Country, State, poor, needy persons have to raise their voice  against this Circular. We have to rise upto the occasion. The so called intellectual is not concerned. The journalists are busy in covering the tours of leaders & getting advertisements. It is their bread & butter. The bhuke & Nange has to realise that they are bhuke & Nange only  by their choice and not by their luck.  

In every Country whenever any situation arises, these poor persons express their grievance and the accumulated grievances give a concrete result.

Rights of BPL card holders denied in Chhattisgarh

The BPL card holders are not required to pay the RTI Application fee of Rs 10/- in terms of Section 7(5) of the RTI Act, 2005. The Chhattisgarh Govt has denied this benefit on the basis of a Circular dtd 27.6.2011. The Circular is uploaded for public viewing. It makes a difference between BPL cards issued in 2007-8 and other BPL cards. The CG Govt says that the 2007-8 BPL card is meant for getting ration only and  not meant for getting the exemption from Application fee & document fee under the RTI Act, 2005. I have talked with some journalist of print media and their innocent reply is that they are not aware of this Circular. This is the tragedy and level of our awareness and we call ourselves leaders, intellectuals, RTI Activists, social workers etc & etc. It is pertinent to mention here that the Govt of Chhattisgarh has fixed the rate of Application fee on the matters of State Legislative Assembly is only Rs 500/-. Can anybody imagine that a Govt which wants transparency and wants to share its information with public is charging the rate of Application fees Rs 500/-. It is simply ridiculous that Rs 500/- is the price to seek on a single point relating to matters of State Legislative Assembly. Now, the BPL card holder has also been deprived of his right given in the main provision of the RTI Act, 2005. So, the moral of the story is just try to think and again think about it.