The common man has surely benefited a lot from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, since this act has helped the people to avail information under the control of authorities. But besides this, RTI has also helped 25 women, who during the Gujarat riots in 2002, had lost their husbands. 

The widows had filed their application under the act earlier, will now start getting Rs 500 every month as interest on their Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) bonds. The worth price of SSNNL bonds is Rs 60,000, and it were the part of the state government's Rs 1.5 lakh compensation package that was exclusively announced for those who had suffered during the riots. 

The kin of the people who died in the riots, received Rs 90,000 and the remaining Rs 60,000 were distributed in the form of SSNNL bonds. The interests on the bonds, on monthly basis, were supposed to be given to the women, until the bonds matured. 

Back in 2007, the specified women filed an application under the RTI Act, that they were not getting the money in time, payments were irregular and often delayed. The main purpose to file this application was to know the official rate of interest on bonds and the reasons behind the irregular and delayed disbursal. 

The application on the behalf of these women was filed by Aman Samuday, a city-based voluntary organization. 

“Though we did not receive satisfactory replies to our application, the monthly interest money was regularized and these women now get their cheques on time,” informed Noorjahan Devan of the NGO.