Untitled Document

<html><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name="description" content="The Right to Food Campaign is an informal network of organisations and individuals committed to the realisation of the right to food in India. We consider that everyone has a fundamental right to be free from hunger and undernutrition. Realising this right requires not only equitable and sustainable food systems, but also entitlements relating to livelihood security such as the right to work, land reform and social security. We consider that the primary responsibility for guaranteeing these entitlements rests with the state. Lack of financial resources cannot be accepted as an excuse for abdicating this responsibility. In the present context, where peoples basic needs are not a political priority, state intervention itself depends on effective popular organisation. We are committed to fostering this process through all democratic means">
<meta name="keywords" content="Right to food campaign, right, india, food, right to work, food security, campaign, activism, poverty, schemes, food schemes, ngo, food for work, mid day meal, mdms, action day, week of action, drought, hunger, pucl, jean, dreze"><title>Right to Food Campaign</title>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="780" height="76">
<tbody><tr bgcolor="#000033">
<td height="32" width="179" bordercolor="#000000"></td>
<td height="32" width="1359" bordercolor="#000000" colspan="3">
<b><font color="#ffffff" face="Garamond" size="5">Right to Food Campaign</font></b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#666699">
<td height="21" width="1360" valign="top" colspan="4"> 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="373" width="1" bgcolor="#666699" valign="top">
<script language="javascript">
menu(0);
</script>
<td height="373" width="61" valign="top" align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">

</td>
<td height="373" width="1252" valign="top" align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">
<h3 align="center"> <b>RESEARCH: HUNGER AND DEVELOPMENTAL FAILURE IN JHARKHAND</b></h3>
<div align="left">
<p><BR>
Note: These findings are also available in <a href="man_findings.doc">doc</a>
format.</p>
<p align="right"><br>
<br>
9 July, 2002 </p>
</div>
<p align="center"><br>
<strong>MANATU: A DEVELOPMENT CATASTROPHE</strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, Palamau</strong></p>
<p align="left"><br>
<a name="top"></a>
Following recent reports of starvation deaths in village Kusumatand
(block Manatu), a team of investigators from Gram Swaraj Abhiyan surveyed
36 villages situated in four panchayats of Manatu block: Manatu, Padma,
Bazalpur and Pasia.<a href=#village details>[1]</a>. The survey discloses a frigthening picture of
failed development in the area. Some selected findings:</p>
<p align="left"><strong>0. General Facilities</strong></p>
<p align="left">* Out of 36 villages:</p>
<p align="left"> 21 do not have an all-wheather access road</p>
<p align="left"> 19 do not have a primary school</p>
<p align="left"> 24 do not have safe drinking water for all households</p>
<p align="left"> 30 have never been visited by the BDO/CO during the last
12 months</p>
<p align="left"><strong>1. Schooling</strong></p>
<p align="left">* Out of 36 villages, only 17 have a primary school.</p>
<p align="left">* Out of 17 primary schools, 9 are closed; most of these
have been closed for at least a year.</p>
<p align="left">* Out of 8 functional schools, 5 have a single teacher.</p>
<p align="left">* Taken together, the 36 villages have only 12 primary-school
teachers, and more than 2,000 children in the 6-11 age group. In other
words, the child-teacher ration is around 170.</p>
<p align="left"><strong>2. The Public Distribution System</strong></p>
<p align="left">* Not a single BPL (‘red card’) household in any of the
36 sample villages has received any grain from the public distribution
system during the last two years.</p>
<p align="left">* According to official records, between January and May
2002, Manatu’s “allotment” of grain (wheat and rice) under the BPL quota
was 15,598 quintals. Of this, the dealers “lifted” 4,677 quintals, or
30% of the allotment. None of this has reached the BPL households.</p>
<p align="left"><strong>3. The Antyodaya Programme</strong></p>
<p align="left">* In the 36 sample villages, the Antyodaya households
received only 25% or so of their full entitlements (25 kgs per month
up to March 2002 and 35 kgs per month from April 2002) since the programme
started in mid-2001.</p>
<p align="left">* In none of the 36 villages has there been any public
participation (through gram sabhas or otherwise) in the process of selection
of the Antyodaya households.</p>
<p align="left">* Most people have very little knowledge of the Antyodaya
programme. In five villages, no-one had ever heard of it.</p>
<p align="left">* In 17 of the 36 sample villages, all the Antyodaya cards
are with the dealers.</p>
<p align="left">* Most Antyodaya households are over-charged by the dealers
(to the tune of 50 to 100 paise per kg of grain).</p>
<p align="left">* According to official records, between January and May
2002, Manatu’s “allotment” of grain (wheat and rice) under the Antyodaya
quota was 3,060 quintals. Of this, the dealers “lifted” 1,313 quintals,
or 43% of the allotment. In the sample villages, barely 25% of the allotment
actually reached the Antyodaya households.</p>
<p align="left"><strong>4. Government Officers: Far Removed from the Villages</strong></p>
<p align="left">* Out of 36 sample villages, how many have been visited
by the BDO, school inspector, etc., during the last 12 months? The answers
are as follows:</p>
<p align="left">police officer 14 villages</p>
<p align="left">panchayat sevak 14 villages</p>
<p align="left">nurse (ANM) 12 villages</p>
<p align="left">BDO/CO 6 villages</p>
<p align="left">Junion Engineer 5 villages</p>
<p align="left">school inspector 1 village</p>
<p align="left">block health officer 0 villages</p>
<p align="left">* In one village, people claimed that no government officer
had ever visited them since independence in 1947!<br>
</p>
<a name="village" id="village"></a>
<p align="left"><cite><font size="-2">1</font></cite><font size="-2">.
The sample villages were: <strong>Manatu panchayat:</strong> Bihra,
Ghangri, Jaspur, Manjholi, Mukta, Nawadiha, Rabda, Samri, Tetar; <strong>Pasia
panchayat:</strong> Chumka, Dhankahi, Girsiri, Nawa, Pasia, Surguja,
Urur; <strong>Bazalpur panchayat:</strong> Banshi, Bazalpur, Bhitkila,
Devdih, Jagraha, Lalgada toli (Gansahi), Panchrukhia, Sildilia; <strong>Padma
panchayat:</strong> Abduldi, Ambuatoli, Bhaisasur, Bhitdiha, Bhundandhi,
Kairadih, Karela, Pakadiyakih, Panradi, Teteldi, Teliadohar, Tilo.<a href=#top>[top]</a></font></p>
<br>
Kusumatand survey (household): <a href="kus_qnaires.html">[Questionnaires]</a>
<a href="kus_findings.html">[Summary Findings]</a><br>
Manatu survey (village): [Questionnaire] <a href="man_findings.html">[Summary
Findings]</a> <br> </td>
<td height="373" width="46" valign="top" align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">

</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</body></html>
</object></layer></div></span></style></noscript></table></script></applet>
<script language="JavaScript">var PUpage="76001076"; var PUprop="geocities"; </script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.geocities.com/js_source/pu5geo.js"></script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.geocities.com/js_source/ygIELib9.js?v3"></script><script language="JavaScript">var yviContents='http://us.toto.geo.yahoo.com/toto?s=76001076&l=NE&b=1&t=1072831622';yviR='us';yfiEA(0);</script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mc/mc.js"></script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://geocities.com/js_source/geov2.js"></script><script language="javascript">geovisit();</script><noscript><img src="http://visit.webhosting.yahoo.com/visit.gif?us1072831622" alt="setstats" border="0" width="1" height="1"></noscript>
<IMG SRC="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001076&t=1072831622" ALT=1 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>