By Saroj Mishra
Bhubaneswar: The poor being the most numerous appear prominently on the radar screens of politicians when the elections draw near. Hence the Odisha government's decision to provide 25 kg of rice per month at the subsidised rate of Rs 2 to BPL families is not completely unexpected.

The announcement recalls a similar move by late Biju Patnaik when he was the Chief Minister of the state in the early nineties. The veteran had taken a cue from the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, the thespian-turned-politician N.T.Rama Rao.

The scheme, which would also be applicable to APL families in the KBK belt, is going to set the exchequer back by Rs 780 crore annually. Considering Odisha's precarious economic condition, this would be a huge sacrifice to make but the government says it is ready to do so for the sake of the poor.

Financial aspect apart, implementation of the scheme itself would be a challenge for the government. Experience of the past shows that the benefits of such schemes are almost invariably cornered by the middlemen who have money to buy in bulk and can influence the decision making of the poor because of the influence they enjoy.

According to simple calculation, 25 kg rice at the rate of Rs 2 would mean Rs 50 per month. Are the authorities confident that each BPL family in the state has Rs 50 in cash at its disposal each month to lift its quota of rice? This was the question raised when a major controversy erupted over alleged starvation deaths in Kashipur a few years ago.

While caught in an awkward situation government officials argued that the tribals were eating mango kernels and wild roots because it had become part of their eating habit, others refuted the claim saying the poor did not have enough money to buy rice. With even temporary jobs hard to come by in the far flung areas of the KBK belt, most families run short of cash. It is quite probable that many of them may not have Rs 50 with them to buy their quota of 25 kg rice.

It is this helplessness of the poor that the middlemen seek to exploit, often in league with corrupt government officials. The quota allotted to the poor is lifted by them either through impersonation or by paying a cut to the beneficiary. In any case, the rice meant for the poor finds its way into the open market with middlemen making huge profits.

In the KBK belt this has been a scandal of unprecedented proportions. Long back when the public distribution system started crumbling in the area because of the proliferation of middlemen and touts, the government had made an inquiry which revealed the involvement of its own officials. Finally, the government sought to tide over the problem by treating the entire population of the KBK belt as poor and eligible for such welfare schemes. This was nothing short of ludicrous and in no way helped the situation.

The latest announcement of the government must be music to the ears of the middlemen and touts operating in KBK's hunger zones. They must be wringing their hands in anticipation. Does the government have a mechanism to check foul play in the implementation of the scheme? Without such a mechanism the scheme may even not serve the short term purpose of getting the poor to the polling booths.