The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Benefits fail to trickle to them

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Friday, Aug 10, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Benefits fail to trickle to them

K. Venkateshwarlu

ITDA officials con the naïve Chenchus and embezzle the funds meant for their development

High and dry: Kudumula Pothiah showing the defunct borewell in his farm at Chintala in Prakasam district.

CHINTALA: When Kudumula Pothaiah, a Chenchu tribal of this habitation in Nallamala forests, was sanctioned Rs. 52,000 worth irrigation borewell fitted with electric motor in March this year, his joy knew no bounds.

After all, it fulfilled his long cherished dream of growing lemon on his three-acre farm near here, with water assured.

He paid the beneficiary contribution of Rs. 5,300 on March 12 and after several trips to the office of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) for Primitive Tribal Group of Chenchus at Srisailam, got the borewell sanctioned. He was one of the 26 beneficiaries for whom 26 borewells and motors were sanctioned at an outlay of Rs. 13.73 lakh on March 16.

Two months later in May, the borewell was sunk and casing done at a cost of Rs. 26,000. But he continues to shuttle between ITDA office in Srisailam, 30 km away and the contractor- cum- dealer in Markapuram (40 km from here) for the electric motor.

Passing the buck

Each one passed on the buck to other and the dealer finally threw up his hands. Pothaiah was told that his sanctioned amount was over as the remaining amount of Rs. 26,000 was held up in ITDA as “percentage”. His dream turned sour, Pothiah is clueless.

Conning the naïve Chenchus has been turned into well-oiled machinery here. “These schemes are for the development of ITDA officials and not for us,” complains Pothiah bitterly. With virtually no system in place for close monitoring and accountability, there seems to be a demand for postings here, in contrast to the common belief.

Pothaiah is not alone. It was repeated in the case of Bhumani Pedakka. Both their borewells have been rendered useless.

In three other instances here, the ITDA officials just released Rs. 30,000 each to the three beneficiaries, Kudumula Avula Pothaiah, Kudumula Veeranna and Jalla Mugemma asking them to get the borewell sunk and motor fitted. Can poor illiterate Chenchus manage to accomplish the task ? And nobody knows what happened to the remaining sanctioned amount.

“The Government releases funds for the ‘development’ of primitive tribes but it is hardly visible on the ground, thanks to such invisible leakages. Chenchus remain where they were decades ago,” says M. Sambasiva Rao of Banjara Development Society.

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