'Government offers us worm-infested rice because we are poor'

The Katkari tribal community in Bhiwandi Thane district has not only had to suffer the pain of lockdown and food shortage but also government apathy evident in the sacks full of worminfested rice given to them recently After the community protested outside the Tribal Development Corporation TDC office a subregional manager Vinay Yedage was suspended Yedage in turn has claimed that he has been made a scapegoat to protect senior officers who are involved in malpracticesAlso Read COVID19 Impact Barely 3 Hours From Mumbai Palghar Tribal Mom Suicide Points To Acute Food ShortageAfter the tribe discovered the worms in the rice on the very day it was distributed on October 7 Barku Daji Misal 49 from Lakhivali village of Nanda Bhiwandi Taluka submitted a complaint to the Shahapur policeThe inferior quality rice infested with wormsI am a labourer and would often sleep without food during lockdown We dont have food today either The worminfested rice would have given us food poisoning It cant even be fed to animals This is what the government offers us just because we are poor Misal told middayI have been targetedI am posted in Mokhada Taluka of Palghar as subregional manager and I was given additional charge of Chimbipada in Bhiwandi Thane district where the grain was distributed Also I was not present during the distribution of the rice because I was also given the additional charge of Raigad district Yedage told middaySuspended subregional manager Vinay YedageI have been made a scapegoat just to save senior officials involved in the racket This is a conspiracy hatched by TDC Regional Manager Sadanand Rajure who suspended me for no reason I will approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal against the suspension Yedage said Phone calls and messages sent to Rajure went unansweredGovt wasted foodgrainsThe state government in an undertaking to the Bombay High Court in April had agreed to distribute 20kg rice bags to each family of the Katkari community 60 such families were given the grainThe inferior quality rice infested with wormsOn April 15 the TDC issued a letter saying grains stored at the godown should be distributed among primitive tribes The same letter was issued to the Block Development Officers BDOs and tehsildars said Vivek Pandit chairman of a governmentappointed committee created to study the status of schemes for tribals in Maharashtra Pandit in his petition to the high court had raised concerns over impoverished tribalsThe TDC said that they purchased paddy from farmers between 2013 and 2016 and stored it in godowns in Vikramgarh Jawhar and Mokhada The quantity was 20000 quintals worth R4 crore These bags of rice were milled in June and July this year60 families from the Katkari tribe received the food assistanceThe milling cost Rs 31 lakh transportation cost Rs 30 lakh and bags of 10 kg rice cost Rs 350 lakh So the total wastage is of over R450 crore Pandit saidIn addition when the government promised to distribute it in April why was the milling done in June and July And why was it distributed only in October This delay amounts to criminal negligence Pandit told middayThe TDC had also asked the Department of Economics and Public Policy Institute Mumbai University to conduct a survey of tribals Yet the list of tribes has not been prepared till date the TDC officials say he addedBarku Daji Misal has submitted a complaint to Shahapur policeClaims of malpracticeIn general practice TDC officials purchase paddy from farmers send it for milling and distribute it among tribals Sources told midday that officials generally sell fresh grain in the market and purchase inferior quality grains from Haryana Punjab and Karnataka at low prices These are kept to distribute to tribalsPandit alleged that this practice is happening with the connivance of TDC district supply officers and traders including Jai Anand Food Industry Agarwal trader and Mehta TraderPandit claimed that one lowrung officer of the TDC has been suspended but the big fish is still out of the netPandit also questioned The officials involved in the purchase storage and milling of paddy must be booked and suspended with immediate effect What was the general manager of TDC doing Why did he not get things rightIssue of ration cardsSources told midday that there are nearly 18000 tribals in Thane Palghar Nashik and Raigad districts with no ration cards Several measures have been adopted by the government to give food grain to tribals but what is the use if 18000 tribals in four districts have no ration card Issuing of the cards has been delayed because authorities demand documentary evidence which tribals dont have at the moment said a sourceThe state government was directed by the HC to ensure that food grains and other essentials items reach tribals However when food does reach them this is its quality the source addedPandit too mentioned that he had asked the high court to direct district supply officers in Palghar and Thane to consider ration card applications of nuclear families so that they may obtain the benefits under Antyoday Yojana The same was granted by the high courtKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news