Gendu Gond, a farmer belonging to the adivasi community, was overjoyed to finally receive the Rs 30,000-cheque, after a battle of eight years. However, his happiness seemed to be short-lived as the cheque issued by the government bounced because it turned out to be issued from a closed account.
Gendu, who is from Matiyari village of Dindori district in eastern Madhya Pradesh, had applied for two oxens in 2009 under a central government scheme providing special assistance to tribals. The farmer, with just two acres of land, submitted all the required documents and necessary guarantee seeking the assistance.
He kept running from one office to another but never got the amount to buy the oxens. Instead, he kept ploughing manually. However, a few months later, he received notices from the local block office and bank stating that both the oxens and amount were sanctioned back in 2009 itself.
“Feeling dejected he started looking for his oxens in government records and papers of offices where he had submitted his application,” said Akshay Hunka of Vichar Madhya Pradesh, a socio-political organisation. Failing to locate his oxens, Gendu filed a case of cheating with the local district court, which is still going on.
A preliminary inquiry into the case found that the local sarpanch, panchayat secretary, janpad panchayat member and other officials swindled the money by getting two oxens photographed with someone else for the governmental records, while registering Gendu's name as the beneficiary.
Meanwhile, Gendu and his wife continued to plough his fields manually even as the corruption case dragged in the court from 2010. Recently, his photos, along with the entire case, flashed in the social media. The government acted swiftly and Dindori collector Amit Tomar assured the media that he would get the case probed and ensure that the farmer wins his Rs 30,000. Soon after the collector's intervention, a cheque was issued to Gendu, which came as a big relief.
However, the relief turned out to be short-lived as it bounced.
The special assistance scheme under which the funds are given by the Centre provides 100 per cent support to tribals for their agricultural needs. Sufiyah Faruqui Wali, collector of Mandla from where the cheque was issued, told the media that she would inquire about the case with the project officer. She assured that a new cheque would soon be issued.
This is the second such incident from Madhya Pradesh of farmers failing to get their beneficiary schemes. Earlier, media had highlighted the plight of Sardar Barela, a farmer from Sehore, who was seen ploughing his field using his two teenage daughters as he failed to get oxens through the same government scheme. The district administration had then also stepped in to provide necessary agricultural implements to the farmer.
