PRAVIN KUMAR
Ranchi, May 7: Naxalite-affected Gumla district was awarded the “Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration” on the occasion of Civil Service Day on 21st April. For the first time in history, this achievement has come in the part of any district of Jharkhand. But the picture of Rajadera, a tribal-dominated village in Gumla district, which received this award for progressing on the path of education, TB eradication, digitization of panchayats and development, is very frightening. This village comes under Janawal Panchayat of Chainpur Block. This village with about 133 ration card holders comes in the mining-affected area. There are Bauxite Mines of Birla Group about five km away from here. This area also comes under the purview of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Despite this, no child or pregnant woman in this village was vaccinated.
Anganwadi Centre exists only on paper
The approved Anganwadi centre for the children of the village is running only on paper. Once a school used to operate in the village but now it has collapsed. Under the MNREGA scheme, the residents of this place have been given work on paper by the government and their payment has also been made, but the villagers have no information about it. The residents of this village get ration with a deduction of five kg. Government schemes die even before reaching this village, which is located about 100 km from the district headquarters and about 28 km from the block headquarters. The road leading to the village was never built. Vehicles engaged in mining also travel through this route. However, the plight of this village, awarded with the PM Award, is raising many questions about the administrative system.
Only tribals live in this village
People of Bhuihar Munda, Oraon and Asur communities live in Rajadera village. This village falls in the Path area. Path area means the villages situated on the plateaus. To reach the village, a rural road has been built through Doka Path, but on normal days no means is available till the block headquarters. There are dense forests around the village. This area is the affected area of the Dumarpath bauxite mining area. More than 125 families of Munda, Oraon along with the extinct primitive tribe Asura live here.
Vaccination does not happen, ANM also does not come
Local villager Nirmala Asur is seven months pregnant. She also has a 15-month-old daughter. Nirmala says, “Neither I nor any other women and children of the village are getting the benefit of government vaccination”. Sukhmani Asur, 21, also has three small children. Sukhmani says, “None of my children have been vaccinated. ANM does not come to the village to give vaccine”. Due to the adverse geographical conditions and neglect of the system, the women of the village are forced to bear the unbearable pain of childbirth.
Status of government schemes in Rajadera village
Anganwadi building has not been built in the village till date. The villagers tell that the ‘Sevika’ Salomi Tirki does not live in the village. Comes only once or twice in six months. Somehow the centre used to run on the basis of the assistant. But due to his death a month back, now the centre is completely closed. Similar is the condition of ANM Saroj Bada. She does not come here for the vaccination of children and pregnant women. Dozens of children up to 3 years of age in the village have not been vaccinated. For the women of this village, getting the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Matritva Yojana is like an impossible dream. Anganwadi centre was to be built here from the financial year 2021-22 itself due to the convergence of MNREGA and the Social Welfare Department, but it has been left unclaimed after being made up to the door level.
The only school in the village closed during the Corona period
The villagers told that the Government Middle School of the village was running in a poor condition in the year 2018. The teachers used to come once or twice a month and take attendance for the whole month. From the year 2020, their coming also stopped. The village school is completely closed since the Covid period. The children of the village are completely deprived of both education and mid-day meals. Some parents send their children to Hasua Toli, 2 km away from school. Due to the dense forest and hilly route, it is not easy for all the people to take this risk. Some of the children go to the Dumarpath Mission School to study. It is about 5 kilometres away from the village. Due to the distance, most of the children are not able to reach here.
Public distribution system
Villagers tell that there are about 133 ration card holders in the village. The PDS dealer here is Angela Kerketta. The villagers were not given ration even under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for two years during the Corona period. Only in June 2021, only one month’s ration was given. Under the postman scheme, food grains have to be delivered to the primitive tribes at their homes or very close to their homes. But the tribals of Rajadera have to go to another village located about 15 km away every month to get ration.
MNREGA
The condition of MNREGA is very surprising. Manita Munda, Divya Munda and other people of the village told that some people come to the village every six months. Gets the thumb inserted in the machine. Give 500 rupees in return. This amount of MNREGA scheme is given in a fake way without working. This is confirmed by the MNREGA website. The statistics recorded on the website show that dozens of schemes have been approved for Rajadera village. Workers are also working regularly in these schemes. An account has also been created in their name. Payment is also being made to the above account. In the current financial year, not a single labourer in the village has worked in MNREGA till now. This claim has been made by the local villagers.
Government system is not visible in the village: Herenj
Balaram, former state advisor to the commissioner of the Supreme Court, and James Herenj, state convenor of Jharkhand NREGA Watch, say that we had also visited the village. No one is getting the benefit of employment and social security schemes here. No system of central and state government is visible here. This is very shameful for the state and the country.
Such a situation is very sad and serious: DC
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Sushant Gaurav said that if this is the situation then it is very serious and sad. Probably this would be happening in other villages as well. After investigating the entire matter, action will be taken against the responsible officials.
Action instructions have been given to DC: ACS
Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department Arun Kumar Singh said that we have given instructions to Gumla Deputy Commissioner to take action in this regard. The mobile clinic has been started in rural areas. People from remote villages can take advantage of this.