Keep out 'sponsors'

Sir, - Your Editorial on the subject of food for work programme (Sept. 3) has suggested that a new funding mechanism for schemes under Food-for-work has to be devised, involving partially or entirely additional funds from the Centre.

If the food for work programme is to be pushed through with the aim of eliminating the huge surplus stocks of foodgrains, material-oriented works should not be selected and purely labour- oriented works must be approved. In the past, implementation of NREP, RLEGP and JVVT (all labour-oriented schemes to alleviate poverty) had been done more in the breach of guidelines than their observance.

Though contractors are to be eliminated in the execution of works, in practice, ruling party functionaries entered the arena in some other name such as `sponsor', `beneficiary', etc. They undertook execution of the work through their own labour. Foodgrains were not at all distributed at the worksite to the labourers. They would be issued in bulk to the so-called sponsor who would encash it by selling it to a set of people available for the purpose.

Hence, the selection of works should be on the recommendation of the elected representatives and the execution should solely rest with the departmental authorities.

The food for work programme should be executed only departmentally and should not be entrusted to anybody else.

The authorities should be given a free hand to execute the works strictly in accordance with the guidelines and foodgrains moved to the work spot departmentally and be issued daily to the labourers engaged at the close of the day's work.

Only then will the spirit of the programme be fulfilled. No labourer would refuse to accept foodgrains in lieu of cash if the quality of the foodgrains distributed is up to the standard and consumable without hesitation.

A. Sampath,

Srirangam, TN

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