Banaskantha : Wednesday, August 14, 2019.
Seating in a small village named Tundiya, of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat. People in the village are simple, most of them dependent on small rainfed agriculture, and minor forest produce called Timbru leaves collection and daily labour work, if available. With no guarantee of regular income, each family has its own story of struggle for survival, but amazingly they have beautiful smile on their face, they become happy with little things and occasions and satisfied with two meals they gain with so much struggle.
For last few months, we have started interacting with villagers here (around 40 villages) and found that negligible percentage of household gets full ration quota from PDS shops, despite their name appears in the National Food Security Act, priority House Hold list. Every village has considerable number of old age, widows, who have not even applied for the scheme, becoz either they are not aware or not being able to get dozen number of documents asked along with the form of application.
Revenue records of land holders not updated, again becoz the bribe rate per bigha of land for doing the procedure is high and people cant afford it.
On system side, key positions like block development officer, is either vacant or some incharge person who comes only for few days. Offices remain silent, and vacant till 11:30 am at least...with peon, and contract based computer operator answering visitors that officers will come soon.
We are on eve of 2nd decade of 20th century. Eve of 73 years of Independence there are thousands of villages across the country in similar situation...
We may blame Government, Adminstration, System or Politician. But all created by YOU and ME.
Then its not another independence Day for me....as I need to think of my creation...!!
Seating in a small village named Tundiya, of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat. People in the village are simple, most of them dependent on small rainfed agriculture, and minor forest produce called Timbru leaves collection and daily labour work, if available. With no guarantee of regular income, each family has its own story of struggle for survival, but amazingly they have beautiful smile on their face, they become happy with little things and occasions and satisfied with two meals they gain with so much struggle.
For last few months, we have started interacting with villagers here (around 40 villages) and found that negligible percentage of household gets full ration quota from PDS shops, despite their name appears in the National Food Security Act, priority House Hold list. Every village has considerable number of old age, widows, who have not even applied for the scheme, becoz either they are not aware or not being able to get dozen number of documents asked along with the form of application.
Revenue records of land holders not updated, again becoz the bribe rate per bigha of land for doing the procedure is high and people cant afford it.
On system side, key positions like block development officer, is either vacant or some incharge person who comes only for few days. Offices remain silent, and vacant till 11:30 am at least...with peon, and contract based computer operator answering visitors that officers will come soon.
We are on eve of 2nd decade of 20th century. Eve of 73 years of Independence there are thousands of villages across the country in similar situation...
We may blame Government, Adminstration, System or Politician. But all created by YOU and ME.
Then its not another independence Day for me....as I need to think of my creation...!!
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