Voters have no ration

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Dec. 10: The district magistrate, Mr. Sridhar Kumar Ghosh, has instructed the food and supplies department to take care of tribal people who do not have ration card but have voter ID card.

The district magistrate took such a decision following a complaint lodged by the secretary of Malda Ram Krishna Mission, Swami Divyananda.

Swami Divyananda had written an application to the district magistrate on 30 November this year narrating the plight of a section of tribal people who are known as Souria Pahari and Mal-Pahari. The secretary had pointed out that such people belonging to tribal community are forced to buy kerosene paying Rs 40 per litre due to lack of ration cards.

“Interestingly they have electoral photo identity card to cast votes for political leaders,” Swami Divyananda said. According to the secretary of the Malda Ram Krishna Mission, more than 30,000 people belonging to such tribal community live in almost all 15 blocks without basic amenities.

Such illiterate tribals do not have ration card, birth certificate of their children, and no facility for old age pension for them. Such tribal groups work as guard in mango orchards with poor remuneration during mango season. Many of them including women lead do job as migrant labourers for livelihood. They are forced to borrow loan from local rich people in exchange of interest 15 per cent per month.

Swami Divyananda suggested the district magistrate to organise a camp in such tribal concentrated areas such as English Bazaar, Ratua, Harishchandrapur, Chanchal, Samsi, Bamongola areas to issue ration card, caste certificate, birth certificate for children and to implement other government sponsored programme for them such as old age pension.

The Malda RKM chief also urged the district magistrate to provide them education setting up primary schools, medical facilities, drinking waters and electricity.

Women belonging to such tribal community are forced to engage in flesh trade, he said.