Mr. Tamilselvan of Tirupattur in Villupuram District became aware of government property that was being illegally occupied. The occupants started harassing local residents without regard. Mr. Tamilselvan, along with other concerned residents reported to local government officers with no result for several years.

Mr. Tamilselvan visited 5th Pillar Chennai and an RTI petition was filed on Oct 27, 2009 asking for the evacuation procedure, the designated official charged with fulfilling the object, and the time frame. The District Administration and Water Service Board explained in detail the plan to evacuate the illegal occupants, which has since been done.

Anupama Fabricators, a factory in Alandur, Chennai had been suspected of causing air and noise pollution to the nearby residential area. Residents of nearby Aswini Anthara apartments asked the factory to move to another location but their requests fell on deaf ears.

Eventually, they approached our Chennai office seeking assistance. Our RTI coordinators at filed an RTI petition to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on Sept 18, 2009. The District Environmental Engineer of TNPCB conducted an inspection on the factory and found hazardous level of pollutants being emitted. The factory was ordered to be relocated from the residential neighborhood.

The Engineer sent a notice to the factory administration asking them to close the unit and copied the letter to the District collector of Kancheepuram, which expedited the closure of the factory.

Mr. Kathavarayan, a 72 year old residing in Villupuram District (Then Alambakkam village) had applied for Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension that is granted for people below the poverty line.

After many months, Mr. Kathavarayan was informed by a clerk at the Dindivanam Tahsildar office that the scheme was closed. Kathavarayan sent a letter to the Chief Minister’s office on June 25, 2008, begging for special consideration as he had no means to survive. Receiving no response, he sent another letter to the CM’s office on March 9, 2009 also with no reply.

During one of our campaigns, Mr. Kathavarayan, received one of our Zero Rupee Notes and contacted our office. We filed an RTI petition on his behalf, attaching all communications to the CM’s office and his application. In short time, Mr. Kathavarayan received his pension.

Mr. Namachivayam of Adyar, Chennai contacted us saying his patta allotment has been pending in the Taluk Office, Sriperumpudur from 2011 and all his requests to the Taluk Office hadn’t yielded any results.

5^th Pillar Chennai sent an RTI Application to the Public Information Officer (PIO), Taluk Officer, Sriperumpudur on 03/29/2012 and an appeal to the Appellate Authority on 03/29/2012. Having received no reply, we have sent an appeal to the Chief Information Commissioner, on 06/08/2012. The Revenue Department published a copy of the Notification in their website but didn’t mention the land owner’s name. We sent another application to the PIO on 07/30/2012. Because of the application, the Revenue Department published the entire details in the website.

Mr. Namachivayam thanked 5th Pillar for our assistance.

Based on a representation given by Miss Sujatha Nanda, 5th Pillar has made a representation to the Office of the Provident Commissioner, Mumbai on the 2nd July, 2012., Since no reply was received within the stipulated 30 days, we sent an appeal to the Appellate Authority on the 3rd September, 2012.

The Assistant Provident Commissioner sent a reply on 9th October 2012, informing us that a sum of Rs. 34652/ towards PF and Rs. 6630/ towards EPS have been settled d to the claimant through cheque No. 837392.

Mrs. Shanthi of Kodambakkam, Chennai District, contacted 5^th Pillar Chennai informing us that she had been waiting for her widow’s pension for over three years.

5^th Pillar sent an RTI application to the Egmore Thasildar in March, 2013. The Thasildar came to Mrs. Shanti’s house, inquired the details, and asked her to come to the office the next day.

Mrs. Shanti went the next day and received her pension within three days.