Less Ration, Lack of Coordination Hinders Relief Efforts in K’taka

From confusion over relief schemes to helplines that don’t take calls or answer queries, relief work is crippled.

From confusion over the multiple relief schemes announced by the government to helplines that don’t take calls or answer queries, the relief efforts announced by the Karnataka government to ease the lives of those worst affected by the lockdown has run into multiple roadblocks.

Relief workers, NGOs and other agencies involved in helping the government coordinate these relief effort told mediapersons in an online press conference today that the absence of a single nodal officer to synchronise the efforts of the state labour department and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has resulted in immense confusion and improper distribution of rations, cooked food and other provisions to the needy.

“The labour department was supposed to do cash transfers into the accounts of migrants along with rations, the BBMP was supposed to provide cooked food. But now there is no clarity on what is happening. Even slum dwellers and migrants are unsure about whom to approach when they don’t get supplies.”

Vinay Sreenivasa, Bengaluru activist

He added that beneficiaries were only getting rice and wheat, and no pulses, as promised.

In a welcome move, the Karnataka government on Monday, 13 April, told the High Court that BBMP would be in charge of ensuring that migrant workers and the homeless are provided free food and shelter in Bengaluru. But the implementation remains to be seen.

Members of Naavu Bharateeyaru, a civic society group in Bengaluru, part of the relief work, said that they were being contacted by scores of stranded migrant workers who had not received aid.

Shaheen, from Naavu Bharateeyaru, said that the group had even made cash transfers to some stranded families who were unable to access government relief supplies.

“We are asking people to call 155214 and other contact numbers announced by the government as official helplines. We tried to meet some of these needs, but people are telling us that they are not getting help. Some are being asked to speak only in Kannada while others are getting rude or dismissive answers. Still others were promised help, but are still waiting for it. The government has also said that they do not have information on all those who need help in Bengaluru,” she said.

Migrants Left in the Lurch

Geeta Menon, women’s rights activist and head of the stat domestic workers association, said that clusters of migrants from north Karnataka, Jharkhand, Assam and other places were stranded across the city.

“There are 5-10,000 families across the city, primarily in the outskirts. We all know the plight of those who decided to go back home but even those who stayed behind are not being taken care of by the government. In many areas, there is partiality in distribution of whatever comes. Many contractors who hired these migrants as workers are also running away. There was no exit plan made for them,” she said

Many Govt Orders, But Few Implemented

According to Menon, several government orders passed for the welfare of the underprivileged were not being implemented in practice.

1. Landlords cannot force rent payment or evict tenants but the threats and harassment continues.

2. The statement of the CM that domestic workers should be paid despite not coming into work, is not happening. Many have been deprived their monthly salaries and told not to come to work anymore.

3. Rs 1,000 was to be transferred to migrant workers accounts and non-BPL card holders were to be given rations or cooked food. This has not taken place uniformly.

4. Marriage halls were meant to be converted into migrant relief camps, but there is no adequate drinking water or sanitation in these places.

5. Lack of accountability in government expenditure. The NGOs sought details on the use of public and private funds to tide over this public health crisis.

With OTP verification to avail rations turning out to be faulty and many fair price shops not even open, there is a severe shortfall in the supplies available and being distributed to the public, activists said.

“We are desperately trying to get a seat at the table. for the government to engage with us and find out the issues on the ground. We need to bring these hurdles to the government’s attention,” said Sreenivasa.