Krupakar Sriram Chahande is from Chandrapur district, Brahmapuri Taluka in Maglinagar Kailasko. He belongs to the Kundbhi Dalit community. Krupakar was born into a family of activists. He watched his father, stopping discrimination against Dalits—there was a time where Dalits in his village were not allowed to purchase goods from shopkeers or take water from the wells. Today though, other…

Krupakar Chahande

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A video helped the Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries, who were struggling to refill the gas cylinders for the last six months in a village in Maharashtra. 

Under the scheme titled Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, (PMUY) families in Mangali village, Brahmapuri, Maharastra, got their first cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). A few months after the exhaustion of the gas cylinder, the families had to wait for more than six months to get a refill. According to Tulsa Bavandhade, a beneficiary from Mangali village said, that she has switched to cooking on a chulha because she didn't get the refill in the gas cylinder despite complaining several times to the gas agencies. 

Our Community Correspondent, Krupakar Chahande asked about the difficulties, Tulsa was facing due to empty gas cylinders. She said, “Our kids go to school. It takes a longer time to prepare food. We are daily wage workers and we get late to work. So, we really need a refill”. Tulsa was not alone, Rajubai Thakare went to gas agencies, four-five times, but they refused to give her gas refills, saying we cannot do anything with the orders. “Why did they give us the cylinder if they were not going to give us the refills?” Rajubai added. 

Krupakar made a video regarding this problem and also submitted an application highlighting the issue to the Tehsildar of the block. The application was signed by the beneficiaries, who were not getting the benefits. Kruparkar organised a community meeting and screened the issue video with the people in the village. Later our community correspondent went to the Tehsildar’s office, with around ten families who also spoke to the Tehsildar concerning their difficulties. “Krupakar asked us to go to Brahmapuri with him. We went with him, submitted an application in the Panchayat Samiti and they gave us the refill”, said Ranjubai Thakare. 

Mr. Vidyasagar Chavhan, who is the Tehsildar in Tahsil Office Bramhpuri, took immediate action, called the concerned authorities, and promised that the beneficiaries will receive the refilled cylinders very soon. Just after 20 days after the meeting, forty families received the cylinders which were refiled by the gas agencies. The beneficiaries were elated when this problem which was going on for more than six months got resolved. 

Community Correspondent, Krupakar Chahande, is happy that because of his continuous efforts and cooperation with the authorities, he was able to bring change in his community. 

Video made by Community Correspondent, Krupakar Chahande.

Article by Grace Jolliffe, a Member of VV Editorial Team.