Thane, Maharashtra:
Villagers in Maharashtra's Thane district are angry, pained and feel betrayed by the government. This after NDTV exposed how food meant for malnourished children from this tribal belt is being siphoned off to feed chicken pigs and cattle.
This area located just three hours away from Mumbai, has the highest number of malnourished children. The children are the beneficiaries of the government's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), under which they are supposed to receive food supplements. But an NDTV investigation has found that nutrition supplements meant for them doesn't even reach them.
"We were told this is for our children. To help them grow and develop properly. Now food meant for them is being fed to animals. So it's best the government stops pretending to help us. We will take care of ourselves," says the angry Mahadu Gavit whose grandson suffers from malnutrition.
Activists helping these tribals say that the lack of knowledge amongst the villagers about government schemes makes them vulnerable. They feel as long as there is only one centralised distribution system such malpractices will continue.
"The village communities have to be made aware of programmes for their benefit and then be given ownership of it. Till that happens such abuses will take place" says Lina Joshi, Former Director of the NGO Apnalaya, which has been working in the area.
Other workers on ground zero feel the state machinery is disinterested and so middlemen exploit the poor tribal.
"The systemic problem is corruption and essentially abuse of power. The question is how can a state betray its own infants?" asks Pradeep Prabhu a member of a farmer rights NGO, Kasthkari Sangathna. These NGOs advocate freshly prepared nutritious meals cooked at the Anganwadis instead of packed supplements as step one in dealing with the problem.
But what about taking action against those exposed in NDTV's investigation? Police claim, the middleman Yashwant Thakre who was caught on camera siphoning the food supplements to sell it as food for livestock is currently untraceable. But many agree that Thakre is just the face of a large scale scam. Only a thorough investigation will reveal the other conspirators including government officials, without whose connivance this shameful loot is impossible.