Yashoda Nirgude, a woman educated up to Class 7 from Nirgudpada village in Trimbakeshwar Taluka, emerged as a local leader in the struggle for food security and ration rights. Through her interactions with women in the village, she discovered that many families had been deprived of ration benefits for nearly eight years due to difficulties in accessing information and resolving issues related to the Public Distribution System.
With support and guidance from BELIEFS Trust, Yashoda began documenting these challenges. She prepared a list of 61 women affected by ration-related problems and submitted it to the Taluka Supply Office. She actively advocated for the immediate restoration of ration entitlements and worked closely with affected families to ensure their concerns were heard by the administration.
Yashoda regularly followed up with officials at both the taluka and district levels. She also raised complaints with the relevant authorities and continuously engaged with government systems to address the barriers preventing families from accessing their food security entitlements.
Her efforts helped create greater awareness about the National Food Security Act among women and families in Nirgudpada and Kotamwadi. As a result of these collective actions, seventy women submitted applications for ration cards, and several long-pending ration-related issues were addressed through sustained engagement with local administration.
Through persistence, community mobilisation, and collective action, Yashoda demonstrated how grassroots leadership can help ensure that government entitlements reach the people who need them most.
Impact at a Glance
- 61 women identified and supported in addressing ration-related issues
- 70 women applied for ration cards
- Increased awareness about the National Food Security Act
- Multiple ration distribution issues addressed through administrative follow-up
- Five local administrative meetings facilitated to resolve community concerns