New Delhi: A crusader against injustice who has successfully raised his voice against some unscrupulous LPG dealers, Devendra Kumar lives in a slum in south Delhi where some gas dealers would refuse a new connection if the customer did not buy a stove from them.
Worse, they would even charge nearly four times the price of the stove. Two years ago, Devendra who was 20 then, filed an application with the Indian Oil Corporation under the Right to Information Act.
Within a month, he got a response that came as an eye-opener. It said customers cannot be forced to buy the stove from the dealer and that there is no provision to wait for 21 days to get a cylinder refilled.
"When the RTI Act was passed, I wasn't fully aware of it. But in 2007, when I got to know the provisions, I realised that it was equivalent to the powers of an MP or an MLA," says Devendra Kumar, RTI Activist.
Devender and his friends circulated copies of the RTI response among slum dwellers, educating them about their rights. They got threats from the gas dealers but Devendra didn't budge - a move that finally paid off.
"Now when I go, then they all stand up and all the work is done in minutes but I want the same treatment to all," observes Devendra.
Devendra refurbishes designer shoes for a living. Now that he knows the power of RTI he's trying to make lives easier for many others.
Worse, they would even charge nearly four times the price of the stove. Two years ago, Devendra who was 20 then, filed an application with the Indian Oil Corporation under the Right to Information Act.
Within a month, he got a response that came as an eye-opener. It said customers cannot be forced to buy the stove from the dealer and that there is no provision to wait for 21 days to get a cylinder refilled.
Devender and his friends circulated copies of the RTI response among slum dwellers, educating them about their rights. They got threats from the gas dealers but Devendra didn't budge - a move that finally paid off.
Advertisement
Devendra refurbishes designer shoes for a living. Now that he knows the power of RTI he's trying to make lives easier for many others.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Film Producer Krishan Kumar's Daughter Tishaa Kumar Dies After A "Prolonged Battle With An Illness": Family Ishan Kishan Snubbed Again, Report Reveals Only Way India Star Can Return Violent Protests In Bihar After 4 Workers Die from Toxic Gas Inhalation Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Die In Protests Defiant Biden Vows To Stay In Presidential Race Despite Growing Revolt Meta Content Moderation Vendors Hit By Global Cyber Outage Conspiracy Theories Take Off After Global IT Crash Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.