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Corruption Eats into Entitlements in Hirri Pathar
The village of Hirri Pathar, about 65 km from Chhindwara, in Tamiya block, Madhya Pradesh, is beset by many problems. The formation of the Adivasi Shramik Sanghatana by Prayas (or the Institute for Development of Youth Women and Child, a PACS Programme partner) has given people a forum to express these problems. They have complained that work on the community centre is pending and that they do not get any employment. The school building has collapsed and water supply is erratic. The village has only one teacher for 90 students and despite many requests for an additional teacher, the post remains vacant.
About 56 people have become members of the Sanghatana in this village, which has 186 houses. “People are reluctant to join the Sanghatana as they have to pay Rs 5 per month and they fear their money will be misused. At first only 10 people were members,” says Shantabai, a member of the Sanghatana.
Bhagobai, who lives in a nearby hamlet, complains that there is no electricity and no water there. “We have so many problems but can the Sanghatana solve them?” she asks.
Corruption is a major issue in Hirri Pathar. Ganesh Deheriya, a 55-year-old handicapped man who is entitled to a pension of Rs 150 a month, says, “The secretary of the panchayat collects my pension and gives me a little amount now and then.” There are about 80-85 pensioners in the village and the secretary collects pensions under various categories for about 22 of them. Ganesh opened an account in a local bank for his pension in November 2002 but till March 2004, instead of Rs 1,800, the secretary has paid him only Rs 800. “I don’t own any land and I live in another person’s house. My wife and son have migrated for work and often I wonder what I will eat,” says Ganesh. “I have already paid a bribe of Rs 500 for a certificate saying I am handicapped in my right leg. I can’t walk properly since childhood and if my wife and son don’t work, we will starve,” he adds.
Corruption eats away at other entitlements too. Last March about 150 people worked on a 2-km road to the village as part of the drought relief programme. They have still not been paid. The villagers claim that the sarpanch has withheld the wages for himself.
In the pension as well the road wages case complaints have been made to the chief executive officer of the district panchayat and it remains to be seen if action will be taken.
“We have complained about the block officer and then about the sarpanch,” says Bandarlal Sailam. No action, of course, has been taken so far, but at least the people have discovered that they do have a collective voice.
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