Raisuan: Crores are being spent by the government under the National Food Security Act, but this seems to have had no effect in some tribal areas of Sadar block in Keonjhar, where people have to satisfy their hunger eating mangoes, jackfruits and other fruits depending on the season.
Getting work under MGNREGS is also just a dream for them.
On the other hand, irregularities in the implementation of NFSA have hit the scheme hard. There are allegations that rich people have grabbed ration cards to get subsidised rice and wheat.
Sadly, scores of poor tribal families have been left out of the food security scheme.
A case in point is the life of people at Kampadihi village in the hilly Baradapal panchayat of Sadar block. Around 2,000 people live in this village and most of them are poor and belong to Scheduled Tribes.
The villagers here said that they do not get work. This indicates that the labour intensive MGNREGS has flopped in the area due to administrative apathy.
They have to depend on selling minor forest produce like fruits, mangoes, jack fruits and firewood.
Locals said, “We have no hope for work and no ration cards to get subsidised food grain. The forest department has imposed restrictions on collecting firewood. This has put our livelihoods at stake while the mafia carts away truckloads of timber worth lakhs.”
Around 400 tribal families, including that of Sumati Dehuri, have no ration cards. Residents said, “We make a living by selling firewood. Sometimes we fail to fail to collect firewood and with nothing to eat we
have to depend on mangoes and jackfruits. When the season is over and the fruits get exhausted we go without food often.”
Social activist Sanjay Sahu said that despite all the development and welfare programmes the area has remained backward and tribals are still in poverty.
“The tribals are leading a miserable life. Children are found collecting either firewood or tending cattle instead of going to schools,” he pointed out.
Locals demanded that the administration should take immediate steps to allot them ration cards.