Fear has gripped residents of Nerse, Pastoli, Gavali and Sayachi Mal under the Nerse Gram Panchayat of Khanapur taluk due to the alleged threats by a panchayat development officer (PDO) and a member of the Khanapur Taluk Panchayat to stop the supply of foodgrains under the public distribution system and to cancel their ration cards, which is in violation of Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Right to Food.
Under pressure from senior officials of the zilla panchayat, the official and the TP member have allegedly adopted harsh methods to implement the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and get a 100-per cent achievement rating in making these villages open defecation-free. The residents said that the two are forcing them to construct individual household latrines.
During a visit by The Hindu to these four villages on Thursday, the residents complained that the official and the TP member had allegedly threatened to stop foodgrains and cancel ration cards if they did not construct household latrines at the earliest. The official also warned them not to visit his office with any application without constructing a latrine. “We want toilets but there is no water supply and it is inadequate for use now. The amount given to build one latrine was also less considering the increased cost of construction material and labour wages. For us (Pastoli, Gavali and Sayachi Mal on the fringes of the Western Ghats), the cost increases as the material has to be transported over a long distance and on treacherous roads. The total cost comes to Rs. 22,000-Rs. 25,000 for building a toilet and a septic tank,” the villagers said.
The government is providing between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 15,000 for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes families.
“Yet, due to the threat from the official, we raised loans from private societies at higher interest rates and constructed latrines. The official promised to pay the money within 24 hours of constructing the latrines but is now delaying payment,” they said. However, none of these toilets are being used as there is no water supply in Sayachi Mal and water supply is irregular in the other two villages. Residents of Sayachi Mal had to collect water from Banduri Nala flowing down the valley, nearly a kilometre away. Irregular power supply and the depletion of the water-table due to summer have affected yield from borewells in Pastoli and Gavali.
Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Vinod Kumar Heggalige told The Hindu that it was wrong on the part of the official or the panchayat member to threaten the villagers while implementing a government scheme.
He said that he would speak to the zilla panchayat CEO and the Khanapur Tahsildar for action against the two. He promised that the Right to Food of these villagers would be protected.
