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Amlashol, Aug. 24: Anchala
Pramanick of West Midnapore’s Namopara died this week after
surviving on water for seven days.
Water there is aplenty in Belpahari
— the rain has been pouring without mercy — and so is money.
Crores of rupees are lying unused in the area’s development
kitty. But it’s been days since villagers have had a grain
of rice on their plates.
After Anchala’s death, two other
stories of starvation surfaced in the area today.
Sukra Shabar of Amlashol and his
family haven’t eaten for two days. Shabar has no work and
no money.
In Banspahari, a hungry Bharati
Mahato lies on jute bags and tattered mattresses. Bharati,
who used to beg for a living, now begs for death.
At a time when the tribals of
the backward Belpahari, under Binpur-II block, are struggling
to get two square meals a day, about Rs 4 crore, allotted
by the Centre and the state government for various development
projects, has remained unspent.
Most villagers here make a living
by selling sal or kendu leaves, but the rains
have left them sodden and worthless. The projects would
have given them jobs and some money to buy food.
“Initially, we did have problems
using the funds because of restrictions before the Assembly
elections. But recently we spent Rs 40 lakh on implementing
some schemes,” said district magistrate D. Nariala.
But a trip to a few gram panchayats
like Belpahari revealed that the rural bodies under Binpur-II
block had not started any project.
The pradhan of the Belpahari gram
panchayat, Ruprekha Hembram, said she has received Rs 4.9
lakh. “But we could not begin any work because of the monsoon,”
she said.
Villagers, however, are not buying
any of these reasons. “When Amlashol and starvation deaths
figured prominently in the media, we had government officers
and NGOs rushing to help us. But over the past five months,
not a single development project has been taken up,” said
Tamal Das of Amlashol.
funds flow
Money that has remained unspent
in Binpur-II block:
- Rashtriya Samabikash Yojana: Rs 50 lakh
- Food for Work: Rs 1.5 crore
- Construction of seven health sub-centres: Rs
31.5 lakh
- MPs’ local area development fund: Rs 60.5
lakh
- MLAs’ fund: Rs 6 lakh
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