The Hindu : Govt. accused of fudging FFW programme records

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Govt. accused of fudging FFW programme records

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Feb. 13. Charging the State Government with fudging the records of Food-for-work (FFW) programme to cover up the gross misuse of the allotted rice, B. V. Raghavulu, Secretary of the State Committee of the CPI (M), has demanded a judicial enquiry.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said that there was wide variation between the figures given in the memorandum submitted to the Central team studying drought on February 4, the Government's website and the ones reeled out in the Chief Minister's video conferencing. The programme was riven with irregularities, corruption, diversion and distribution of new rice for old works. All this required a thorough enquiry.

Mr. Raghavulu alleged that the State Government was misleading the Central Government and drawing more rice under the FFW programme and diverting the same to the Public Distribution System, to reduce its financial commitment on the subsidised rice scheme. This was one reason why the allocation to the rice scheme was shown as Rs. 360 crores this year, against Rs. 560 crores last year.

He said the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, should take responsibility for the mess, as he maintained that he had been regularly monitoring the programme through video conferencing. On its part, the State CPI (M) would stage a "dharna'' in front of the Mandal offices on February 19 and the District Collectorates on February 24.

Though five months have passed since the Centre released 3 lakh tonnes rice on October 10, the Government is unable to utilise it fully, he said. Till February 12, it was able to use 1.02 lakh tonnes only. It reflected the Government's negligence towards drought-hit areas and its inefficiency. The supply was poor in several drought-hit districts. It was just 2.5 per cent of the allotted rice in Prakasam, followed by Warangal (19 per cent), Mahbubnagar (23), Vizianagaram (26), Chittoor (31) and Anantapur (37).

The CPI (M) leader said the facts and figures given by the Government on works and supply of rice were "all cooked up and bogus.'' For instance, in the memorandum submitted to the Central team on February 4, the State Government claimed that of the 16,800 tonnes of rice allotted to Prakasam, 7,427 tonnes was distributed. But a report filed on February 9 showed that the number of works sanctioned, started and rice distributed as "zero.'' Strangely, another report of February 12 showed that 59 works were approved, 51 were started and 57 completed, with the release of 448 tonnes of rice, all within three days! Similar was the case in Khammam and Nizamabad districts where the rice distribution was shown as touching 102 per cent!

A study by the party teams in Yacharam village in Ranga Reddy and Shanganamala in Anantapur, showed how the Government was "manufacturing'' and entering figures of works and distribution of rice, without accomplishing the tasks.

Condemning the arrest of the Congress-I MLA, J. Krishna Rao, for allegedly abusing an APTRANSCO engineer, he wondered what action should be taken against those heading the Government showering abuses on officials during their surprise visits and egging on people to spite them.

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