RTI Act helps Himachal woman get into BPL list

Shimla, Apr 24: The Right to Information (RTI) Act has helped a woman from a village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh to get into the state's Below Poverty Line (BPL) list! Meera Devi, separated from her husband and now residing with her father in Asaan Pat village, was included in the BPL list after she approached the state's Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) recently when her application had been rejected by the DRDA's project officer.

The DRDA's officer said not only her, but names of two others people have also been included in the list after the Drati Panchayat passed a resolution to this effect in his appearance before the CIC recently.

Meera had approached the CIC following the dismissal of her application by Kangra Additional Deputy Commissioner to whom it had been referred by the Kangra Deputy Commissioner, who is also the public information officer (PIO), last year on the grounds that her Panchayat's Gram Sabha had rejected her claim on the ground that she had come to the village an year ago.

Besides, his order said, from the persual from the appeal, it transpired that the appealant works on enquiry to be conducted against the selection of BPL families in her Panchayat.

Since redressal greivance was not within the purview of RTI Act, the appealant should address their grievance before the competent authority following which the appeal was accordingly being dismissed, the order added.

Meera than approached the state's CIC against the PIO's order after which the DRDA's project officer in his submission before the CIC said her name alongwith two other people had been included in the BPL list.

UNI