M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Mar 4: A ‘Jan Sunwai’ (public hearing) on the Food Security Act was held at Badgad in Garhwa district today.
People of 21 villages took part in this public hearing, according to the state convener of MGNREGA Watch James Heranj.
The session was primarily for the primitive tribal group and its food security cover. A galore of complaints came forward about pension and ration cards.
72 families of the primitive tribal group Korwa complained of having no pension despite them being a fit case for it. The issue of ration was also raised by almost everyone.
According to James, some women said they have not been given ration for October. 219 families do possess ration cards but the names of every member of the families are not on the ration card. 67 families said they have no ration card at all.
James said that an issue was raised that 33 people were declared dead and thus they were deprived of their ration facility while the matter of fact is that all 33 are alive.
The fate of the Anganwadi Kendras is also dismal. It is irregular in the opening. 27 kids are off Anganwadi here. During the hearing, 180 students were discovered to be school dropouts.
Sources said this is the first public hearing after the pack-up of the Aapke Adhikar-Aapki Sarkar-Aap k Dwar programme.
James said that the BDO Badgad has promised to do the needful in this direction.
The state coordinator of the Food Security Act Ashrafi Nand Prasad and other civil society activists including women like Phoolmani Mirchi, Basanti Baba etc took the lead role in the hearing.
