Relief Funds

The Kosi river has swelled and is venting its anger on the state of Bihar. According to UN, more than 3 million people have been displaced.Over the past two weeks every newspaper has advertisements of Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Ministers’ Relief Funds for the flood hit state of Bihar. Personally, I feel this is a scam and the full aid NEVER reaches the source.

Last year a newspaper carried a report of how the PM’s Relief Fund for the tsunami victims had been misused and never reached the needy in Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. I don’t say that the entire fund is pocketed by the babus and politicians managing these funds but a major chunk of it goes missing. I always felt that while the CM’s fund was easier to misappropriate, the PM’s fund would be more secure.

Well, I changed my stand after reading an article in Mumbai Mirror dated August 23, 2008. It reads, “PM’s promise reduces brave boy to labourer.” Thirteen year old Raipalli Vamsi, student of Class IX, received the National Bravery Award from the President on Republic Day this year. After the ceremony Vamsi unfortunately met the Turbanator, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who assured him of education in a school of Vamsi’s choice. Vamsi was to receive all help, financial and otherwise, as per the PM’s promise. Forget a better school, Raipalli had to quit his Zilla Parishad School on July 1 and is now a daily wage labourer earning Rs 30 per day! God bless the Turbanator for terminating a poor kid’s future.

Cut to the Relief Funds. These Funds accumulate a few 100 crore rupees very easily, isn’t the lure to siphon the Fund irresistible. When the Honorable PM could back track in little Vamsi’s case which involved a fraction of his fund, what assurance do we have that the Bihar Relief Fund would reach the flood hit population?

Why not give to an NGO? Or just hand it over to your Bihari servant, driver or watchman. Don’t trust the NGOs or Biharis? Give them a chance. The government has failed. Politicians are good-for-nothing-bastards, so why not hand over the relief materials to the Bihari who might just help his people.

Click for Mumbai Mirror's article 'PM’s promise reduces brave boy to labourer'