Maha govt's timing and constitution and TOR of dam scam SIT raises storm -DNA Report

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Maha govt's timing and constitution and TOR of dam scam SIT raises storm

DNA / Yogesh Pawar / Wednesday, January 2, 2013 10:00 IST

URL of the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_maha-govt-s-timing-and-constitution-and-tor-of-dam-scam-sit-raises-storm_1784392-all

**  Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) charged the government with an even more ulterior motive. “The government clearly wants to protect the then water resource minister Ajit Pawar, current incumbent with same portfolio Sunil Tatkare, MLCs Sandeep Bajoria and Avinash Bhosale (all from the NCP) and MP Ajay Sancheti and MLC Mithleya Bhangdiya (from the BJP),” he charged and added, “The silence from the opposition in the state is deafening, particularly the BJP which goes ballistic on most issues”

 SANDRP too concurred with Tiwari's views. “The opposition's silence shows they are hand-in-glove, in one  way or the other, with the government in this scam."    **

As if the state government’s selection of Madhav Chitale, a “pro-water resource establishment” expert on water resources and irrigation, to head special investigation team (SIT) on the Rs70,000 crore irrigation scam had not got enough flak, Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan announcement of the terms of reference (TOR) and the other members who will work with Chitale, near midnight on Monday has kicked up a huge storm.

Apart from water expert Madhav Chitale, the SIT, will now have as members, former additional chief secretary, finance AKD Jadhav, retired irrigation secretary VM Ranade and former agriculture commissioner Krishna Lavekar, Chavan announced.

He has also said the TOR will include: going into details of examining irrigated potential and actual irrigated land, reasons for low actual irrigated area, reasons for cost escalations, delaying completion of pending projects, and suggesting measures for improving irrigation sector. Incidentally three other committees (Wadnere committee, Mendgiri committee and Upase committee) have already gone into these same aspects and the findings are already with the government.

On December 18th, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) chief Medha Patkar had met the CM in Nagpur along with a delegation and voiced reservations on the choice of Chitale to head the SIT. “We want the government to keep the process transparent and accountable. After all, it is the people’s money and they have a right to know where it has vanis.hed,” she had said. “Chitale has never gone beyond the technocrat’s brief in his view on big dams. We need someone with a holistic and equitable understanding of the water resources and access to them”

In fact when she and the other delegation members had raised the issue of having a retired judge and a representative of people's movements for right to water on the SIT, Chavan had been enthusiastic. “Please suggest names and we'll be glad to consider them,” he'd assured them.

A surprised Patkar told DNA, “Now there seems to be a move to pack the SIT with retired pro-government bureaucrats. This not only dashes all hopes of a free, fair and just inquiry but shows up for just how sincere and committed the government is on an issue which deeply affects so many people.”

"The TOR and constitution of the Maharashtra Irrigation Scam SIT at midnight as the year 2012 ended confirms the worst fears that this is another attempt at white washing the irrigation scam,” said Himanshsu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People who called it, “a big black mark on the much hyped honesty of the Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan.”

Others like Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) charged the government with an even more ulterior motive. “The government clearly wants to protect the then water resource minister Ajit Pawar, current incumbent with same portfolio Sunil Tatkare, MLCs Sandeep Bajoria and Avinash Bhosale (all from the NCP) and MP Ajay Sancheti and MLC Mithleya Bhangdiya (from the BJP),” he charged and added, “The silence from the opposition in the state is deafening, particularly the BJP which goes ballistic on most issues”

Thakkar of SANDRP too concurred with Tiwari's views. “The opposition's silence shows they are hand-in-glove, in one way or the other, with the government in this scam.”

===================================

'SIT Members and Term of reference' exposed Govt. stand to protect NCP-BJP ‘Law-Makers’ involved in Rs.70,000 crore Irrigation Scam

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 TO ALL AND BEST WISHES TO CLEAN INDIA MOVEMENT

Maharashtra SIT member and Term of reference exposed Govt. stand to protect NCP-BJP ‘Law-Makers’ involved in Rs.70,000 crore Irrigation Scam

                   

Nagpur – 1^st January 2013

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan late night after deep pressure from media announced names of the members and term of  reference of SIT constituted to probe mega scam in irrigation projects amounting more than Rs.70,000 crore  is stage managed drama to protect involved “law makers”  v.i.z. Ministers Ajitdada Pawar and Sunil Tatkare of NCP and BJP MP Ajay Sancheti ,BJP MLC Mithleya Bhangdiya  ,NCP MLCs Sandeep Bojoria and Avinash Bhasale who are Wealth Manager of Ajit Pawar and are involved in Scam as per documents before Mumbai high court in PIL  as per announcement as The terms of reference of the SIT and the appointment of members apart from water expert Madhav  Chitale, the committee includes former ACS (Finance) A K D Jadhav, former irrigation secretary V M Ranade and former Agriculture commissioner Krishna Lavhekar. and term of reference of SIT is to go into the details of examining the irrigated potential and actual irrigated land, reasons for the low actual irrigated area, reasons for cost escalations, delaying completion of pending projects, and suggesting measures for improving the irrigation sector hence SIT has not been asked to investigate any  corruption which nothing but sabotage to dying farmers families and victims families of vidarbha agrarian and this SIT formation and finalization term of reference is stage managed show of CONG-NCP-BJP unholy alliance  and attempt to cover up massive irrigation scam hence vidarbha farmers demand scarping of such toothless SIT and arrange CBI inquiry in to serious allegations of massive corruption in irrigation scam, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS)  informed in press release today.

Earlier too Maharashtra CM  ruled out constituting special investigation team (SIT) to probe the irrigation scam under Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1955  to save deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and water resources minister Sunil Tatkare allegedly involved in the scam that had stalled winter session for four days, has vindicated stand taken activists that SIT headed by water expert without statutory power is just eye-wash and stage managed show of  all political parties to mislead public and this is happening due to unholy nexus of NCP-BJP  with directly involved contractors who are now law makers with help of these parties hence we are urging Mah. Govt . to crap this SIT and order   a judicial probe or CBI enquiry into Rs.70,000 crore scam,Tiwari added.

As there is no provision in Commission of Inquiry Act that there should be a judicial member on the panel and it is only if a panel constituted under COI Act, the government had to mandatorily give all the statements on oath and such SIT becomes a quasi-judicial with judicial powers to summon bureaucrats, government officials, ministers and experts. There will be regular hearings and those will be deemed judicial proceedings under Section 193 and 228 of IPC. It will be just like regular court hearings but existing SIT under Madhav chitale is mare criminal waste of time and money and nothing will come out even inquiries made by Nandkumar Vadnere and HT Mendgiri committees were not under this Act and therefore the government was not duty bound to act against the guilty hence till date there is action against all involved in ,Tiwari said.

It is alleged in PIL before Nagpur bench of Mumbai high-court that   the cost of 38 irrigation projects coming under VIDC rose dramatically by a whopping Rs20,000 crore in just seven months in 2009 - from Rs6,672 crore to Rs26,722 crore. It also claimed that 30 projects were granted quick approval in just four days and Mah. deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is directly involved in this scam,Tiwari added.

‘In fact irrigation Vidarbha for years suffered neglect under irrigation department run by western Maharashtra politicians but irrigation scam of state’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who was state's irrigation minister from 1999 to 2009 and also ex-officio chairman of VIDC and then Sunil Tatkare is massive one as  38 ongoing irrigation schemes by increasing their estimated costs by over four times to Rs 26,722.23 crore from the original Rs 6672.27 crore. This happened in a single year - 2009 - with a majority of approvals given in three months, between June and August, just a couple of months before the state elections by going  out of the way to favour a group of contractors that included Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti, Sancheti who has a major stake in irrigation business is reported to be also close to Pawar. A group of contractors including Sancheti, Avinash Bhosle of Pune who was named in CIDCO land scam and Yavatmal MLC Sandip Bajoria ,MLC Mitesh Bangadiya, a contractor are among the chosen few to have got mobilization advance even though there was no such clause in original tender document. It is highly shocking MP Ajay Sancheti circumvented the rules to bag contracts hence we demand criminal action against all are involved in this irrigation scam amounting more tha Rs.30,000 crore and this main issue which has lost it’s focus hence we are upset as SIT announcement is just another time pass and free passage to corrupt ministers and lawmaker-cum-contractors ’Tiwari said.

"The unholy nexus of these contractors with NCP-BJP  has waken voice of opposition and their safe passage guilty ministers and contractors by way of tooth non-statutory SIT is nothing but sabotage  public faith and parting with corruption taht will have very serious implication in future hence till there is time for BJP to rectify the stand and demand scraping of toothless SIT over irrigation scam" Tiwari urged.

तेलंगणासोबत वेगळ्या विदर्भाचीही निर्मिती करा-केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री यांना निवेदन

तेलंगणासोबत वेगळ्या विदर्भाचीही निर्मिती करा-केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री यांना निवेदन

स्थानिक प्रतिनिधी/३0 डिसेंबर यवतमाळ : सर्वाधिक शेतकरी आत्महत्या होणारा प्रदेश व आदिवासींच्या कुपोषणाची राजधानी असलेला विदर्भ अनेक समस्यांनी ग्रस्त आहे. विदर्भाचे वेगळे राज्य केल्याशिवाय तेथील समस्या सुटणार नाहीत. त्यामुळे वेगळा तेलंगणा राज्यासोबत विदर्भही वेगळा करावा, असे आवाहन विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री सुशीलकुमार शिंदे यांना पाठविलेल्या निवेदनात केले आहे. शेतकरी आत्महत्या, उपेक्षित आदिवासींसोबत वाढत्या बेरोजगारीमुळे विदर्भाचे मागासलेपणे दिवसेंदिवस वाढत आहे. महाराष्ट्र सरकार व केंद्र सरकारने विदर्भातील उपेक्षित शेतकरी व आदिवासींसाठी खर्च केलेले १ कोटी रुपये गरजवंतांपर्यंत पोहोचलेच नाही. विदर्भात मागील दशकात एक टक्काही सिंचनक्षमता वाढली नाही. विद्युत निर्मितीचे केंद्र विदर्भात असताना येथील जनतेला भारनियमनाचा सामना करावा लागतो. विदर्भातील औद्योगिक मागासलेपणामुळे येथील जनता बेरोजगार आहे. येथील १0 लाखावर युवक मागील दशकता अभियांत्रिकी व व्यावसायिक शिक्षक घेऊन पुणे, मुंबई, हैदराबाद व बेंगरूळु येथे काम करत आहे. सरकारच्या विदर्भविरोधी धोरणामुळे येथील २ हजारांच्या वर उद्योग बंद आहेत. विदर्भावर होत असलेल्या अन्यायासाठी कोणतेही पाऊले उचलले जात नसून येथे नक्षलवाद वाढत आहे. अशा परिस्थितीत विदर्भात असंतोषाची लाट निर्माण होऊन हिंसाचार वाढण्याची भीती निर्माण झाली आहे. वेगळ्या विदर्भाच्या निर्मितीसाठी महाराष्ट्र विधी मंडळाने विशेष ठराव केला असून या मागणीला काँग्रेस व राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसने पाठिंबा दिला आहे. भाजपा व मनसेसोबत सर्व दलित नेतेसुद्धा एकमुखाने विदर्भाला न्याय देण्यासाठी विदर्भ राज्य निर्माण व्हावे, हाच नारा लावत आहेत. स्वत: केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री सुशीलकुमार शिंदे यांनी विदर्भाच्या समस्या व दु:ख जाणले असून विदर्भाच्या विकासासाठी व शेतकरी व आदिवासींच्या होत असलेल्या आत्महत्या रोखण्यासाठी योजना आयोगाने केलेल्या शिफारशीनुसार विदर्भ राज्याची निर्मिती करावी, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केली आहे.

आदिवासींचा अन्नासाठी पांढरकवड्यात सत्याग्रह-विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेतृत्व

आदिवासींचा अन्नासाठी पांढरकवड्यात सत्याग्रह-विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेतृत्व

सत्याग्रहास उपस्थित आदिवासी महिला व पुरूष आणि मार्गदर्शन करताना माजी नगराध्यक्ष अनिल तिवारी.

जिल्हा प्रतिनिधी/२६ डिसेंबर
यवतमाळ : ज्या गरीबांची ओळख बीपीएल यादीत आहे. त्या सर्वांना अंत्योदय योजनेत धान्य द्यावे. या मागणीसाठी यवतमाळ जिल्हय़ातील हजारो गरीब व आदिवासींनी पांढरकवडा तहसील कार्यालया समोर सत्याग्रह केले. या हजारो गरीबांच्या सहीचे निवेदन विभागीय अधिकारी प्रेरणा देशभ्रतार व तहसीलदार डॉ. राजेश अडपावार यांना दिले.
या आंदोलनाचे नेतृत्व विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी, माजी नगराध्यक्ष अनिल तिवारी, आदिवासी नेते तुकाराम मेर्शाम, मोहन जाधव, अंकीत नैताम, मनोज मेर्शाम, मोरेश्‍वर वातीले, सुरेश बोलेणवार, भीमराव नैताम यांनी केले. या आंदोलनामध्ये केळापुर, झरी, मारेगाव, राळेगाव व घाटंजी तालुक्यातील साखरा, टिटवी, राजेगाव, राजुरवाडी, बोथ, बहात्तर, पहापळ, भाडउमरी, सायखेडा, रुंझा, मोहदा, करंजी कोठोडा, नवरगाव, रोहपाठ, हिवरा, शिबला, माथार्जुन, वडकी,वरद, सावरखेडा, सोनुर्ली, सिंगलदिप, डोंगरखर्डा, सावनेर, अंजी, तेजनी, गोपालपुर, वांजरी, पाटणबोरी, वडवाट, कोदोरी, चनाखा, घुबडी, चालबर्डी, ताडउमरी, धारणा मंगी, घोडदरा, पाथरी, दाभा या गावाच्या नागरिकांनी सहभाग घेतला. यावेळी आम्हाला थेट अनुदानाच्य्या रुपाने पैसे न देता ज्या गरीबांची ओळख बीपीएल यादीत आहे त्या सर्वांना अंत्योदय योजनेत धान्य द्या. या मागणीसाठी यवतमाळ जिल्हय़ातील हजारो गरीब व आदिवासी पांढरकवडा तहसील कार्यालया समोर सत्याग्रह केले. दरम्यान केंद्रीय कृषीमंत्री शरद पवार यांनी थेट अनुदान देण्याच्या योजनेला अमरावतीमध्ये केलेल्या खुल्या विरोधाच्या भूमिकेचे स्वागत विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी केले असून या मागणीसाठी आपण उच्च न्यायालयात दाद मागणार असल्याची माहिती त्यांनी यावेळी दिली.
सरकारने या वर्षी ग्रामसभेने २0१२ ची नवीन गरीबांची यादी दिल्यानंतरही २00२ च्या बीपीएल यादी प्रमाणेच गरीबांना बीपीएलचे अन्न देण्यात येत असून सरकारची ही कारवाई गरीबांचे सवरेच्य न्यायालयाने दिलेले अधिकार गोठविणारी असून स्वत: यवतमाळ जिल्हाधिकार्‍यांनी उच्च न्यायालयात दिलेल्या शपथपत्राच्या विपरीत असून जिल्हय़ातील २0१२ च्या यादी प्रमाणे ग्रामसभेने दिलेल्या सर्व गरीबांना बीपीएलचे रेशनकार्ड द्या या मागणी करीता येत्या २६ डिसेंबरला पांढरकवडा येथे कुपोषण व उपासमारीला तोंड देत असलेले हजारो आदिवासी व गरीबांनी धरणे दिले अशी माहिती आदिवासी नेते व न.प.सदस्य अंकीत नैताम व माजी जि.प.सदस्य तुकाराम मेर्शाम यांनी दिली. मागील १0 वर्षापासून दारिद्रय़ रेषेखालील असणार्‍या विभक्त झालेल्या आदिवासी, दलित व वंचित कुटुंबांना सवरेच्य न्यायालयाच्या आदेशानंतरही पिवळय़ा शिधावाटप पत्रिकेपासून यवतमाळ जिल्हय़ात १ लाख कुटुंब वंचित असून न्यायमूर्ती वाधवा समितीने आपल्या यवतमाळ दौर्‍याचावेळी जिल्हय़ातील लोकसंख्येच्या प्रमाणात अन्नाचा अधिकारापासून वंचित असलेल्या सुमारे ३0 हजार कुटुंबाना शिधावाटप पत्रिका देण्याचे आदेश १८ महिने उलटुनही केराच्या टोपलीत जिल्हाधिकार्‍यांने टाकले
देशात लाखो मेट्रीक टन गहु व तांदुळ सरकारी गोदामात सडत असल्यामुळे व ठेवण्यासाठी जागा नासल्यामुळे केंद्र सरकारने सर्व शिधावाटप धारकांना बिपीएलच्या दरोन अन्न पुरवठा करण्याची घोषणा केली आहे. त्यासाठी राज्य सरकारने अन्नाची मागणी करावी अशा सूचना सुद्धा योजना आयोगाने केल्या आहे. मात्र महाराष्ट्र सरकारने बिपीएलच्या शिधावाटप पत्रिका वाढविण्याऐवजी लाखो शिधावाटप पत्रिका कमी करण्याचा सपाटा सुरू केला. या आंदोलनामध्ये राजु उपलेंचवार, विकास गाडगे, हलीमा बानो, लिला बुरांडे, प्रितम ठाकुर, जीवन गटलेवार, राजु वर्मा, शेख निसार, संजय बोंद्रे, नितिन कांबळे, नंदू जयस्वाल, संजय सुबुगडे, मुरली वाघाडे, प्रितम ठाकुर, सतिष जाधव, सुनिल राऊत, पद्मा बैस, र्शद्धा तिवारी, आंनद कापर्तीवार, अजीज विराणी, राजु राठोड हे उपस्तित होते.

Thousands Tribal and BPL families join Protest to demand Food Security under PDS

Thousands Tribal and BPL families join  Protest to demand Food Security  under PDS

Nagpur –December 26, 2012

**“It has been resolved that all tribal and BPL families to oppose proposed cash transfer scheme under PDS and to move high court if administration fail to provide food security to all illegible families as per provision of food control order 2001 and existing list of year 2012 of BPL families’’**

Thousands of tribal and poor who are deep distressed due to on going agrarian crisis to joined massive protest to demand food security under BPL category even after they having BPL card issued by legitimate authorities in 2012 but administration is giving food under BPL to poor families listed in 2002 list which is nothing but the fraud covering all big farmers and mostly political influential families of village violating orders of apex court and standing orders giving by Mumbai high court in Kolam tribal starvation PIL .The detail memorandum with complete list of tribal and BPL families submitted to SDM Kelapur Ms.Prerana deshbhatar (IAS) and Tahsildar of kelapurDr.Rajesh Adapawar who promised delegation to take up issue with Govt., Kishor Tiwari president Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti(VJAS) and convener of agitation  informed in press release today.

Tribal and poor from Kelapur ,Zari,Wani,Maregoan,Ralegoan and Ghatanji joined stir and tribal leader Anikt Naitam ,Tukaram Meshram,Letuju junghare and right to food movement activist  Anil Tiwari ,Mohan Jadhav, Suresh Bolenwar,Nitin Kamble  and Bhimrao Naitam among  prominent leaders who joined today roght to food agitation.

“It has been resolved that all tribal and BPL families to oppose proposed cash transfer scheme under PDS and to move high court if administration fail to provide food security to all illegible families as per provision of food control order 2001 and existing list of year 2012 of BPL families’’ Tiwari informed.

    

While speaking before massive gathering it was highlighted that even  after supreme court of India clear cut guidelines and union control Food Control Order -2001 that every year list of BPL families under PDS food security scheme should renewed as per list submitted by Village Panchayat in it’s “Gramsabha”, Maharashtra Govt. is giving food to the families as per it’s own survey done in the year 2012 by making mockery of “Right to Food”  denying food security to more than one lakh BPL families mostly tribal and downtrodden facing malnutrition and starvation hence in order to enforce supreme court direction and guidelines of  Food Control Order 2001 .

“In maharashtra around 5 million BPL families identified by administration are denied food security making just mockery of Nation food security mission, UPA promised universal PDS with food @ 2 Rs./kg in 2009 then maharashtra PDF Govt.promised to give food under PDS to all @Rs. 1/kg but till date  promise has not fulfilled where in between progressive maharashtra Govt. just cancelled 5 million ration card but failed to add single one ,this mockery of right food and big UPA claim to that they with Aam Aadami hence we are showing the world this truth ”Tiwari said before protestors.

If the high court and apex court orders following the recommendations of Justice Wadhva committee are not followed then we will intensify agitation in near future ,Tiwari warned.

Sharad Pawar puts foot down, says no cash transfer in PDS-DNA

  http://www.dnaindia.com/

Sharad Pawar puts foot down, says no cash transfer

DNA Research N Archives / Yogesh Pawar / Wednesday, December 26, 2012 7:34 IST

 http://www.dnaindia.com/print710.php?cid=1781728

In what is bound to raise the hackles of the Congress, NCP chief and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has opposed the UPA government’s plan to disburse cash to the poor based on Aadhar cards. He was addressing a massive women’s rally organised by his party in Amravati on Monday.

The scheme, which Sonia Gandhi has herself pushed in public, has been touted by the Congress as a fix for leakages of subsidies to families below the poverty line (BPL). There are several critics of the scheme, but Pawar, whose party is a partner in the UPA government, has voiced his opposition openly for the first time.

“We will not be a party to the implementation of something so many poor in this country don’t want,” he said, to resounding cheers from the predominantly tribal and Dalit gathering. DNA had reported on Monday how the Maharashtra government continues to use a 2002 list that does not have over 50 lakh people who are below the poverty line, earning barely enough to afford even one meal. This is despite the fact that gram sabhas, civic councils and corporations have submitted fresh lists for 2012.

Many organisations working with the poor on the right to food have criticised the direct cash transfers. “Based on old lists, half the poor will be written off,” said Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti. He welcomed Pawar’s position.

Tiwari said Sharad Pawar’s announcement opposing the direct cash transfer in PDS had come like a bolt from the blue. “He is known for his stance against farmers and the poor while favouring MNCs and market forces. So his opposition is a surprise, as many private players are promoting the direct cash transfer scheme,” Tiwari said. “Pawar’s stand will certainly have larger implications for the UPA, as the Congress will not like to be painted as the villain by the NCP in the run-up to 2014.”

The samiti had written to Pawar about the proposed direct cash transfer scheme and the adverse effect it would have on 10 million tribals and the poor. It warned that if the scheme was implemented in Vidarbha it would also lead people to indulge in massive deforestation to survive. “Reducing kerosene quota will lead to large-scale felling of forests. The scheme has not worked for 25,000 households in Kotkasim, a block in Rajasthan’s Alwar district,” Tiwari said. “Our experience has been that beneficiaries will not be able to access the accounts in which the government transfers the money. There are instances where wages under MGNREGA and pension to old widows does not reach them. So what’s the guarantee that cash transferred to beneficiary accounts will be utilised for the same purpose?

URL of the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_sharad-pawar-puts-foot-down-says-no-cash-transfer_1781728-all

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Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti welcome Sharad Pawar’s open opposition to Cash Transfer Scheme in PDS

Nagpur-25^th December 2012

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar addressing massive NCP women rally in Amaravati divisional headquarter of west vidarbha in Maharashtra has strongly opposed UDA Govt. magic vote bank scheme of direct cash  scheme to stop leakages in subsidies in to BPL families in public distribution system (PDS)  which is strongly opposed by tribal and poor of region  and there is massive protest of 26^th December at Pandharkawada in Yavatmal  to oppose cash transfer scheme and Sarad Pawar’s opposition to Aadhar card base mega money rain game plan has been welcome by dying vidarbha tribal and farmers as more than 70% poors identified by Gramsabha and local body   are not covered under food for  BPL families  and subsidies food  to all poor under targeted food security  under proposed food security bill , Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed in press release today

“Sharad Pawar decision to oppose direct cash transfer in PDS is pleasant surprise as he is known for his stand against farmers and poor and pro-MNCs and market forces who are promoting this direct cash transfer scheme in PDS  and this stand will certainly larger implication in UDA moreover will take NCP closer to poor and tribal in maharashtra but same time in maharashtra he should arrange to give subsidies food to  BPL  families listed in 2012  as per provision  food control order 2001”Tiwari added. 

Earlier  Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJS) officially wrote to pawar about the proposed direct cash transfer scheme of subsidy to beneficiaries will adversely affect 10 million tribals and poor people Vidarbha, warning that if the scheme is implemented in Vidarbha, it will also cause massive deforestation.

Tiwari has urged the Centre to suspend the scheme till its implications are not considered and legal status coupled with constitutional validity of Aadhar cards is not approved by Parliament.

The UPA government is planning to give cash to buy food from the market to beneficiaries of Annapurna and Anotyadaya schemes. However, Tiwari warned of food security problem for tribals and other families covered under BPL category.

"Moreover, reducing kerosene quota drastically will lead to large-scale felling of forests. The scheme has not worked well for 25,000 households in Kotkasim, a block in Rajasthan's Alwar district bordering Haryana," said Tiwari.

Our experience has been that beneficiaries will not be able to access the accounts in which the government transfers the money. "Wages under MGNREGA and pension to old widows does not reach them. So what is the guarantee that cash transferred to beneficiary accounts will be utilized for the same purpose," asked Tiwari.

The VJS leader fears this is an attempt to end public distribution system (PDS) to benefit multinationals. The plans to extend cash transfer scheme to food and cooking gas subsidies will also hurt the poor, who should not be left at the mercy of market forces.

The year-old pilot programme on cash transfer in Kotkasim has failed miserably. Most residents complain they did not receive money for one year or at the best got one of the four instalments.

Tiwari said there is a constitutional question mark over validity of much-hyped Aadhar cards too. It cannot be the sole proof for the government scheme for direct transfer of cash to a poor person's account, as banks are not ready to accept Aadhar cards as ID proof, he said.