In 1997-98, Sevana had applied for a house under the AAY scheme, but he did not get any reply from the government till 2004. Later that year, Sevana was shocked to receive a notice from the Department of Social Welfare, asking him why he did not submit a certificate of the work completed for the house he had applied for. The notice further mentioned that the department had already given around Rs 10,000 for the same. After two months the department sent another notice to Sevana asking him to deposit (Rs 10,000) the amount sanctioned by the department in the State Bank of India.

A three-year-long ordeal to prove that he never got any money from the government then started. This ended with the RTI being filed by an NGO in various governments departments.

With the help of Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel (MAGP), Sevana filed two RTIs with the Social Welfare Department asking for a copy of the work order, date of the cheque posted and the outward copy of the same. “The department couldn’t find any information of what was asked in the RTI,” said Sadhna Pandya of MAGP.

No order was passed in the first appeal. Sevana then approached the State Information Commission, which then directed the concerned authority to pass an order within 15 days. Kashiram was called for the hearing of first appeal in April 2008.

“He was also pressurised by the authorities to withdraw the RTI application, and was even lured with promises of housing benefits. But Kashiram was firm in his decision and didn’t want to withdraw,” said Pandya. While the second appeal is still pending for hearing, the department has already sanctioned a house for Sevana.

“Construction of the house is on in full swing. I am happy with whatever money I have got. Earlier, I didn’t know about the RTI, but I tell people now that it has a lot of power.”