Free of cost radios provided by the state government to the Mahadalits, the poorest of the poor in Bihar, is proving useless, as they are selling them to raise money for chicken, mutton and country liquor. M I Khan reports.
More than 1,500 Mahadalits have sold their radios at a mere Rs 150 to 200 in Dhanarua block in Patna district in the last few days, officials said.
'What we will do with a radio if we have nothing to eat. Where is money for its battery? So we sold them." Sajeevan Manjhi of Anjani village, a beneficiary of Mahadalit radio scheme, said.
He said that money he got was used for a small party with his friends. "We enjoyed the country liquor" he added.
Another beneficiary of the Mahadalit Radio Scheme, Kamlesh Manjhi, said that radio will not benefit Mahadalit. "We are fighting for survival, songs and news sound bad on an empty stomach," he said.
Kamlesh admitted that he, along with dozens have already sold radios provided by the government. "After I sold my radio, I purchased country liquor and chicken for dinner" he said.
Dhanarua Block welfare officer Sadhna Kumari said that there was information that Mahadalits in some villages had sold radios.
"What can we do? We possibly can't keep a check on it," she said.
According to block officials, till date, 5,552 radios have been distributed and 663 radios are yet to be distributed among Mahadalits.
Last month, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had launched the scheme under the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas mission and declared that radios to 10 Mahadalitd would make the section aware of the government schemes including uniforms, cycles and mid-day meals for school-going children.
The government has decided to provide radios to about 2.2 million Mahadalit families.
"The government officials at block level are still distributing radios to Mahadalits in different districts," a government official said.
Radios were distributed to educate them about the importance of literacy, sanitation and getting rid of bad habits such as consuming alcohol and tobacco.
As per Census 2011, Dalits constitute nearly 15 percent of Bihar's population of 104 million. A total of 21 of the 22 Dalit sub-castes have been identified as Mahadalits. They include the Musahar, Bhuiyan, Dom, Chamar and Nat communities.
In 2009, the State government had decided to directly hand over Rs 400 to each family to purchase radios.
However, Kumar had decided not to give the money as officials of the SC/ST welfare department and the Mahadalit Vikas Mission apprehended that the money might be misused.
Bihar was the first state in the country to constitute a Mahadalit Commission. It was decided that the commission would study the status of the neglected sub-castes among Dalits and suggest ways to uplift them.
