The rash of natural disasters that have devastated many parts of the world (Hurricane Katrina, Tsunamis, to name a few) makes me break out in a rash. Despite the tremendous achievements of Man these catastrophes drive home the fact that he is ill - equipped to deal with Mother nature at her fiercest. Of course given the terrible abuse and wastage of our planet's resources it is not surprising that the backlash should be so severe but that is not the point of this blog. I have read many stories about individuals who rallied to the aid of victims and were unstinting in the services rendered. Truly a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. But it is unfortunate that such disasters do not bring out only the finest in human nature. All virtues evinced in those trying times come a distant second to greed.
Recently five disricts in Bihar were practically annihilated when the Kosi embankment was breached leading to flooding. The damage to human life and property was extensive. Restorative and rehabilitative work began in earnest and the victims numbering about 33 lakhs tried to restore some semblance of normalcy to their lives in the wake of the crisis. The state government had allocated 1.15 lakh tonnes of grains and Rs. 1010 crore to the affected populace. But only 8 lakh quintals of food grains and Rs. 192 crore managed to reach its intended destination. Imagine! Where the rest of the grain and money went is anybody's guess.
Perhaps my imagination is running wild but the grain probably made its way to the blackmarket making some unscrupulous racketeer rich beyond his wildest dreams. As for the money, it would have filled some corrupt officials' coffers to overflowing. I am sure the ill - gotten gains of these honest gentlemen will save them from the burning fires of hell. Greedy Pigs! And as for the rest of us may be we should stop throwing a sop to our conscience by simply donating money. We should take that extra step and make sure the money or other donations reach the victims. (The last is actually a note to self. )
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEarlier 15% was used in administration and 85% reached the beneficiaries. Now even such vaunted organisations like the UN accept a 35/65 divide. If you think the public sector stinks, the NGO's are even worse. so do not blame just the corrupt officials. The whole system sucks.......... Keep your money to yourself or give it to me!!!
ReplyDeleteYour imagination is not running wild... I dont think it's very far from the truth, sadly...
ReplyDeleteOn a more cheerful note, I enjoyed your posts. Hadnt forgotten how smart you are but the memory of your writing skills were hazy.. it was great to see they are as good as I'd expect them to be :-) More via mail
God! This is simply killin me! Indu?
ReplyDelete