Keonjhar: Keonjhar is a mineral-rich district where mining is a major sector, but the paradox is: thousands of people go jobless and lead miserable lives without work opportunities in most tribal pockets.
Take the case of Bodapalasa village near the district headquarters where MGNREGS has reportedly floundered. Many people from the village migrate to other states in search of work and but end up being exploited.
Most people in the village have job cards, but work is not made available to them. All government benefits provided by the labour department are out of their reaches.
Hundreds of poor tribals are found waiting with baskets, spades, and other digging tools near the collectorate every day. They go with whoever asks them to work. But adequate work is not available for them.
The residents of Bodapalasa said they are left out of poverty alleviation schemes and housing benefits.
“Earlier, we had got BPL cards, but those were cancelled later. Besides, Rs 2–a-kg rice is not available to us. We have long been working in the construction sector, but benefits like identity cards, free bicycles and other welfare facilities are not provided to us. We have job cards, but no work,” they lamented.
Many labourers alleged that they have become exhausted from repeatedly applying for houses.
“Officials demand Rs 5,000 for allocating a housing unit. We are daily labourers. How we will arrange such an amount. Even elected representatives are not coming to our rescue,” they pointed out.
“We are engaged in work on contracts – Rs 14 as wage for a square-ft of digging. We hardly manage to get Rs 200 to Rs 300 after a day of hard labour. Sometimes work is not available and we have to return home empty handed,” said Nabina Munda.
Srikant Munda, another labourer, said, “We had applied to the labour department for free bicycles. Many people got, but we did not. We have ration cards, but rice and kerosene are not provided to us at subsidised rates.”
Many other tribals of the same village — Bablu Munda, Raibari Munda, Rajani Munda, Sajani Munda, Subasi Munda, Gobinda Munda and Nitin Munda, have been leading miserable lives without getting government benefits.
PNN
