Friday, July 21, 2006
Tsunami Toys
By: S Binoy Raj
Port Blair, July 14: Martin is busy in playing with a new toy, brought by his father recently. His three friends have also joined him to share the excitement in the remote village road of tsunami hit Car Nicobar Island.
The toy which costs nearly one Lakh is a power tiller, given to tsunami hit people of Andaman and Nicobar under Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation package.
Martin’s father who possesses a coconut plantation does not require a power tiller for any cause moreover he never saw anything like this before in his remote village.
He was given the strange machine just because his name along with other 106 tribals people were suggested by someone in Tribal Council of Car Nicobar for issuing the same. Now his village children are making most of it by playing with it.
This is not the only such case in Andaman and Nicobar islands where relief material given by Government of India has proved to be a waste.
Around 1000 such power tillers, each costing a little less than one lakh rupees, were purchased by Andaman and Nicobar Administration with the fund allocated for tsunami relief.
“Tribal people had never asked for such machines, now when these tillers are supplied to local people, the Agriculture department is trying to teach them how to use this,” said Mr. Erick, junior field officer of Andaman’s Agriculture department in Car Nicobar.
Erick, who belongs to the same tribal community of Nicobar said many of these machines are used only for Kitchen garden as people of Nicobar survive depending upon their Coconut plantation. “Now some of them have started cultivation of vegetable and paddy too,” he added.
Surprisingly in some cases these costly machines were given to those who hardly could effort to purchase fuel. Many such tillers are already put for sale in negligible rates.
“They do not have any option left, atleast by selling these machines they would manage to purchase bread for their families. Most of them are having a thin time,” said Amit Kumar Roy, a flied worker of HELP, an NGO working in Andamans.
“It seems that Government officers have supplied these costly machines to farmers just for the sake of their duty. This is clean siphoning of taxpayers money,” Mr. Roy, who visits remote tsunami hit villages for colleting data, added.
The agriculture department however clarifies that it the Zonal committee of an area, which decide who would be the beneficiary of the package as tiller can not be given to every body in the village.
“In Nicobar it is decided by Tribal Council, similarly in Andaman region it is decided by village representatives and senior government officers,” explains Mr. Dilip , Assistant Director of Andaman Agriculture department.
But the Government of India is really cooking in gas, huge purchases were made in the name of tsunami relief by Andaman and Nicobar Administration, following recommendations of various planning committees and Ministries.
“Every thing is done according to the recommendation of Central team, damage assessment
committees and Agriculture ministry,” clarifies Mr. Janak Digal the Secretary of Agriculture in
Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
Digal explains that purchases were done as there was a demand by the local people and demands are still coming in for supply of more and more such tillers.
“Actually we got demands for tractors but it is decided in Ministry level that supplying tractors in huge number would be a costly affair as a result power tillers were purchased which meets all the demands,” Digal added.
According to the Agriculture Secretary after tsunami many expert committees had visited Andaman and Nicobar islands to assess the damage and various recommendations were made by them according to the demands of tsunami hit people and most of the decisions regarding purchase were taken in Mainland India.
But things, in reality, are not that strait. The knives were out as soon as these power tillers in huge number landed in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Many smell that many underhand dealing were made during these purchases.
According to Agriculture Department not only power tillers, around 1000 pumpset and agricultural tools and implements like spades, crow bars, pickaxes etc. were given to the farmers whose lands were under water.
Around 30,000 tonnes of neem cakes (manures) were purchased against expert advice, that lies stacked up in Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Katchal and Teressa Islands.
For all these slipshod purchases approximately 15 crore rupees were squandered within 19 months since the devastating tsunami.
After tsunami catastrophe the Government of India has approved a special package for revival of agriculture sector at a cost of Rs. 2395 million which includes repair and reconstruction of dykes, site clearance, scrapping of surface salt, application of organic matter, application of gypsum, rainwater harvesting through check dam, creation of water body-pond/well, pump sets, cropping programme, creation of drainage facility, farm implements/equipments.
This is just a small fraction, blown off, from the big amount which was sanctioned for tsunami relief, it would be interesting to watch what all are in the cards.It is not over until the fat lady sings.
Port Blair, July 14: Martin is busy in playing with a new toy, brought by his father recently. His three friends have also joined him to share the excitement in the remote village road of tsunami hit Car Nicobar Island.
The toy which costs nearly one Lakh is a power tiller, given to tsunami hit people of Andaman and Nicobar under Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation package.
Martin’s father who possesses a coconut plantation does not require a power tiller for any cause moreover he never saw anything like this before in his remote village.
He was given the strange machine just because his name along with other 106 tribals people were suggested by someone in Tribal Council of Car Nicobar for issuing the same. Now his village children are making most of it by playing with it.
This is not the only such case in Andaman and Nicobar islands where relief material given by Government of India has proved to be a waste.
Around 1000 such power tillers, each costing a little less than one lakh rupees, were purchased by Andaman and Nicobar Administration with the fund allocated for tsunami relief.
“Tribal people had never asked for such machines, now when these tillers are supplied to local people, the Agriculture department is trying to teach them how to use this,” said Mr. Erick, junior field officer of Andaman’s Agriculture department in Car Nicobar.
Erick, who belongs to the same tribal community of Nicobar said many of these machines are used only for Kitchen garden as people of Nicobar survive depending upon their Coconut plantation. “Now some of them have started cultivation of vegetable and paddy too,” he added.
Surprisingly in some cases these costly machines were given to those who hardly could effort to purchase fuel. Many such tillers are already put for sale in negligible rates.
“They do not have any option left, atleast by selling these machines they would manage to purchase bread for their families. Most of them are having a thin time,” said Amit Kumar Roy, a flied worker of HELP, an NGO working in Andamans.
“It seems that Government officers have supplied these costly machines to farmers just for the sake of their duty. This is clean siphoning of taxpayers money,” Mr. Roy, who visits remote tsunami hit villages for colleting data, added.
The agriculture department however clarifies that it the Zonal committee of an area, which decide who would be the beneficiary of the package as tiller can not be given to every body in the village.
“In Nicobar it is decided by Tribal Council, similarly in Andaman region it is decided by village representatives and senior government officers,” explains Mr. Dilip , Assistant Director of Andaman Agriculture department.
But the Government of India is really cooking in gas, huge purchases were made in the name of tsunami relief by Andaman and Nicobar Administration, following recommendations of various planning committees and Ministries.
“Every thing is done according to the recommendation of Central team, damage assessment
committees and Agriculture ministry,” clarifies Mr. Janak Digal the Secretary of Agriculture in
Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
Digal explains that purchases were done as there was a demand by the local people and demands are still coming in for supply of more and more such tillers.
“Actually we got demands for tractors but it is decided in Ministry level that supplying tractors in huge number would be a costly affair as a result power tillers were purchased which meets all the demands,” Digal added.
According to the Agriculture Secretary after tsunami many expert committees had visited Andaman and Nicobar islands to assess the damage and various recommendations were made by them according to the demands of tsunami hit people and most of the decisions regarding purchase were taken in Mainland India.
But things, in reality, are not that strait. The knives were out as soon as these power tillers in huge number landed in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Many smell that many underhand dealing were made during these purchases.
According to Agriculture Department not only power tillers, around 1000 pumpset and agricultural tools and implements like spades, crow bars, pickaxes etc. were given to the farmers whose lands were under water.
Around 30,000 tonnes of neem cakes (manures) were purchased against expert advice, that lies stacked up in Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Katchal and Teressa Islands.
For all these slipshod purchases approximately 15 crore rupees were squandered within 19 months since the devastating tsunami.
After tsunami catastrophe the Government of India has approved a special package for revival of agriculture sector at a cost of Rs. 2395 million which includes repair and reconstruction of dykes, site clearance, scrapping of surface salt, application of organic matter, application of gypsum, rainwater harvesting through check dam, creation of water body-pond/well, pump sets, cropping programme, creation of drainage facility, farm implements/equipments.
This is just a small fraction, blown off, from the big amount which was sanctioned for tsunami relief, it would be interesting to watch what all are in the cards.It is not over until the fat lady sings.
