The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Smooth going for NFFW

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Smooth going for NFFW

By S. Harpal Singh

ADILABAD, APRIL 12. The increase in the price of rice given to labourers under the National Food for Work (NFFW) programme should ensure its success in Adilabad district. There are other factors too, which will keep the programme on rails (unlike the FFW of 2002), if the one month of its implementation is any indication.

A comparison between the previous and present food assurance programmes reveals many dissimilarities. For one, the previous FFW was unplanned compared to the NFFW.

Unrealistic allocation

The allocation of quantum of rice itself was unrealistic then while the present programme boasts of realistic figures at over 22,000 tonnes. It was based on village level surveys of below poverty line wage seekers who are ensured of a steady supply of the food grain for at least 100 daysthis year.

During the 2002 FFW, about 1.35 lakh tonnes of rice was allocated to Adilabad, which amounted to nearly Rs. 80 crores. Though officially there was no admission to irregularities in the programme, it was an open secret that almost all the rice was transported to Maharashtra by contractors and middlemen.

Adilabad has contiguous borders with Maharashtra where there is ample demand for rice. The unscrupulous thus found an opportunity to make a quick buck.

Rice diversion

The FFW rice distributed at Rs. 5.60 per kg found its way into Maharashtra markets where it was sold at between Rs. 8 and 10. The FFW rice from Adilabad was sold at markets in Nagpur city, Yavatmal, Nanded and even Mumbai. Rice in lorries crossed the State's borders from Bhainsa, Mudhole, Wankidi, Penganga, Laxmipur (near Sunkidi), Bela etc. The rice smugglers earned a minimum profit of over Rs. 5,000 for a lorry load of 10 tonnes and many smugglers transported 20 such loads in single day.

Now, rice is available at Rs. 8 to 10 a kg in open markets in all these centres in Maharashtra. So, anyone planning to smuggle NFFW rice to Maharashtra will not reap much profits.

Villagers make demands

"In the last one month, there has not been a single report of rice being diverted, though over 3,000 tonnes of rice have already been distributed. Villagers have become more conscious of their rights. On April 8, about 400 labourers from Barampur village in Talamadugu mandal complained to the district Collector J. Sudha Rani about lower wages. Such things will keep irregularities in check," pointed out the NFFW programme implementing officer and Project Director District Water Management Agency, L. Venkatram Reddy.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Smooth going for NFFW

`Drinking water, power to get priority'

NIMS appeal for blood