Pir
Azar: Kupawara: Monday, 21 July 2014.
 |
| Rafeeka, a resident of Tangwadi mohalla of Dard Haire village. |
Rafeeka, a
resident of Tangwadi mohalla of Dard Haire village in Kralpora block of
Kupawara district, in JK state. Things could have been different for Rafeeka if
she would have got opportunities to improve her livelihood. She lot her
husband, Ab Ahad Lone when her son Mehraj Ahmad was in her womb. Mehraj does
not know to whom the other children call “Papa”. Rafeeka is compelled to send
him to orphanage at JK Yateem foundation at Bail-ul Hilal. Rafeeka’s daughter,
Tabassum, always, remember her father, & says “If our papa was alive, we
would have had proper meal at two times, pacca, house and new clothes during
Eid” Little Mehraj then asks “Who is papa?”
Rafeeka’s
elder son had to leave his studies, after 7th and work to support his family.
Rafeeka’s heart breaks when she tells how her little son, has to work because
of poverty. Rafeeka stays in a house, that badly needs repairing. During rainy
season, it leaks very heavily, and Rafeeka feels helpless & tears rolls
down from the eyes as she looks at her house, kids. She do not have money to
feed her children, from where will she repair her house. She do not get the
benefit of Housing Schemes as per critieria, as in government’s diary, she is
“Above Poverty Line”.
She has job
card under MGNREGA in 2009, but she got only 2 days of employment till date!!
She badly needs work. But insensitivity of the system and nexus between corrupt
officers, politicians, and the contactors, does not allow Rafeeka to get access
to the work.
Statistics on
website shows JK state spends over 2000 crore in MGNREGA. Expenditure state
till April 2014, shows that Kupawara district has spent 78 lakhs..!! MGNREGA
has become 100% profitable business for contractors and only thing they have to
do is show 100 days work on Rafeeka’s card and siphon the funds.
Government
ensures that such vital information does not reach to Rafeeka. No disclosures
are being made at “village level” or during Gram sabha, or through kiosks where
people can no “how much money has been accounted on my name? how many in my
village completed their 100 days of employment guarantee? What was the
planning? How much money was actually spent? Where? How? Ironically, as per
section 4(1) b of RTI Act, all this information needs to be pro-actively
disclosed at local level Panchayat level, and disseminated widely through
media, to be painted on walls in the village or to be read out in the
Gramsabha.
Thousands of
Rafeeka’s across Jammu and Kashmir are asking “where are our 100 days of employment?”
Will Government listen?
(
Sent by Journalist, Pir Azar from Jammu & Kashmir)
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