Mrs. Thayammal, the elder sister of Mr. Natarajan (5th Pillar Coordinator of Uralvaimozhi, Tirunelveli District) was due for Old Age Pension. Mr. Natarajan applied for it in June 2011 with nothing happening for two years. 5th Pillar sent an RTI application to the Public Information Officer (PIO) and then to the Appellate Authority. Neither of them sent a reply.

A second appeal was sent to the Chief Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner ordered the PIO to immediately send a reply; however the PIO did not comply.

Mr. Natarajan then sent copies of all RTI applications and the appeal to the District Collector, Chief Minister’™s cell, and the concerned Social Welfare Thasildar of Tirunelveli. The Old age pension was sanctioned within 15 days from the date of application.

Though the RTI applications were not immediately useful, further appeal helped Mrs. Thayammal get her old age pension.

Mr. Rayala Naidu of Tiruvellore applied for a family card but didn’t get it for over three years. 5th Pillar sent an RTI application on Mr. Naidu’s behalf to the PIO, Taluk Supply Officer (TSO), Tiruvellore on April, 2012. Within 15 days, the TSO came to Mr. Naidu’s residence and completed the required inquiry. A little while later, Mr. Rayala Naidu informed us that he received the card, a card for which his family waited for three years.

Mr.Rajendran, a corrupt government official in Tuticorin District, in collusion with other perpetrators, fraudulently registered 11 residents’ properties which were then sold to third parties.

Samuthiraraj, a victim residing in Karisalkulam village in Kovilpatti Taluk discovered this act and approached the District Registrar, Taluk officer and Sub Registrar of Kovilpatti Taluk along with others who were cheated. Unfortunately, Mr. Rajendran had been promoted to District Registrar of Periyakulam and no government official was willing to take a stand.

Samuthiraraj approached 5th Pillar Chennai and we filed a Right to Information (RTI) petition on Jan 12th, 2010.

The forged property sale documents for all 11 victims were canceled on Feb 1, 2010.

Mr. Sankar, residing in Royapuram, Chennai lost his ration card in 2004 and applied for a replacement with all essential documents at Royapuram Taluk Office. An official visited his residence after 2 months for an inquiry and asked him to visit the office 2 months later.

Mr. Sankar meticulously visited the office for 5 years but could not meet with any higher officials or get a response to his application. In August 2009, he was informed his application was rejected and had to re-apply.

Realizing there was no legitimate answer for the delay, he approached 5th Pillar’s Chennai office after watching a TV program about the organization. Our RTI coordinator filed a petition in September 2009 to the District Civil Supplies department, Royapuram Zone at Chennai.

Mr. Sankar received his new ration card exactly 13 days after the RTI application was filed.

Mr. K. Velu, a resident of Chennai discovered that his ancestral property partition document did not have his name in addition to his brothers’. He approached the Vandavasi Taluk Office, to have his name added to the land patta document. For 15 years, he did not receive a responsible answer.

Mr. Velu found out about 5th Pillar, visited the office with proof his name belongs on the patta. An RTI petition was filed on his behalf on Oct 23, 2009. The Taluk office sent a detailed reply to all questions asked and a corrected land patta document.

Mr. Velu is very happy that 5th Pillar got his document for him in a month without bribery when he was struggling alone for 15 years.

An influential person began constructing a building that was encroaching a public mud road in Tirupattur, Vellore District. Concerned residents approached local and higher authorities to no avail.

Mr. Tamilselvan asked 5th Pillar Chennai to help the cause. 5th Pillar filed a Right To Information (RTI) petition on his behalf and was informed that encroachment was indeed taking place but no remedy was being taken.

5th Pillar filed an appeal insisting that the illegal building be removed. The authorities complied and the building was demolished to the relief of all the local residents.