Women tie free Antyodaya scheme saris to farm fences, citing poor quality; outfit seeks probe

Serious questions have been raised about the quality of the free saris being distributed by the government under the Antyodaya scheme. The saris reach needy women through ration card holders. However, beneficiary women in rural and tribal areas have tied them to farm fences instead of wearing them, which has come as a shock.

The women say the fabric of the saris supplied by the government is very thin and weak, and not at all fit for daily use. They are also deeply upset that the separate money spent on getting the fall, picot and a blouse stitched for the sari goes to waste. For this reason, they used the saris as fencing to protect their fields and vegetable crops from stray animals. This has exposed how the scheme is being implemented.

The Bhumiputra Elgar organisation has turned aggressive over the matter. Its founder president, Pramod Pawar, has submitted a written memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding a separate, high-level inquiry into the entire matter. He alleged that corruption has eaten into this welfare scheme, which was started to support poor and tribal women.

The organisation has also asked why the saris, bought with crores of rupees of government funds, were never put through a technical quality test. Pawar has demanded a thorough investigation of the entire procurement process, covering the tenders, quality checks, the supplier companies and the officials responsible. He said the inquiry report should be made public and strict action taken against anyone found guilty.

It remains to be seen what stand the government takes on the issue. For now, women in villages and tribal areas are watching the saris they received free hang on farm fences instead of wearing them, while the organisation awaits an inquiry into irregularities in the purchase.