People's Democracy

         IE Report Has Little Relation To Facts

THE news item that appeared in The Indian Express on July 1 regarding Amlasole-Kankrajhore in Belpahari block is full of distortions and has got little relation to the facts. The Belpahari panchayat samity is being run by the Jharkhand Party (JP) for the last 6 years. Kankrajhore and Amlasole villages fall within Banspahari gram panchayat, and this gram panchayat is also controlled by the Jharkhand Party. CPI(M) representatives were able to get elected from the Amlasole booth only. This being a sore point for the Jharkhand Party, inhabitants of this locality have become political victims of that party. They are being deprived of the rural developmental programmes of both state and central governments. Both the gram panchayat and panchayat samity are indifferent to the problems of the people. They are even are reluctant to prepare the lists of people falling in either APL or BPL categories. The repeated demands by the elected CPI(M) representatives could not move the panchayats in the right direction. In this regard the CPI(M) had to organise deputations to the concerned block development officer.

The Congress and Jharkhand Party usually fight panchayat, assembly and parliamentary elections unitedly. The existing maladies within the area are due to irresponsible and malfunctioning of Banspahari gram panchayat and Belpahari panchayat samity. No doubt there is poverty and disease in some families. There is dearth of food and proper medical care also. However, it cannot be said that the incident of death was due to hunger. Of late, mobile medical treatment is being organised.

The reporter of The Indian Express has drawn a comparative picture prevailing with the CPI(M) local committee office and the villagers’ miseries. For his information, it is to be noted that the Belpahari local party office is situated in the centre of Belpahari block where electricity and drinking water are available. It is another matter that this party office is going without electricity since last year. There is no generator or whatsoever. The building too is not a double storeyed one. Only a small portion of this single storeyed building is roofed. There is no question of separate tubewell in the party office. Party workers, along with other villagers, draw water from a nearby tubewell located in a public place on the roadside. Banamali Mura and Subhas Manki have purchased a bus with loans taken form the SC/St Finance Corporation.