The Jharkhand government announced on Monday that it would get a social audit conducted into the free foodgrain scheme for the primitive tribes.

“The food and civil supply department would get a social audit conducted into the Dakia Yojana,” state food and finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said. He added that the scheme is meant for free delivery of 35kg of food grains every month at doorstep of those belonging to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs).

“The intention is to identify the loopholes in the scheme and initiate remedial measures for ensuring smooth delivery of free food grains,” the minister further said, adding the audit schedule was also already finalised.

The social audit unit that functions independently under the aegis of the state’s rural development department will conduct a door to door survey between October 22 and November 20 and complete hearings by December 22, Oraon informed, adding the government was serious to facilitate smooth running of the scheme.

“I was the chairperson of the National SC-ST Commission when the National Food Security Act 2013 was being drafted and suggested that both the central and state governments should take the responsibility of delivering food grains at doorsteps of such people living in far-flung areas,” he said, adding the Jharkhand government had subsequently introduced the scheme in 2017.

The scheme, known as Bishisht Janjati Khadyanna Yojana or Dakia Yojana for PVTGs, assures delivery of 35kg rice free of cost every month to about 73,000 families belonging to PVTGs who are spread across the state.

There are 8 tribes identified as PVTGs in Jharkhand and those are the Asur, Birhor, Birjia, Korwa, Parahiya (Baiga), Sabar, Mal Paharia and Souriya Paharia.

“I came across some lapses in the PDS (public distribution system) when I went on field visits during the pandemic and tried to remove those,” food minister Oraon said, adding he was hopeful the proposed social audit would also point out the lapses, if any, so that those could be addressed effectively.

The social audit unit was requested to visit each of those estimated 73,000 families for gathering the problems they faced, the minister further said, adding he had already instructed his departmental officials to cooperate with the social audit team by providing related files and records to them.

“It’s a welcome move that the state government decided to conduct social audit of the Dakia Yojana,” said Ashrafi Nand Prasad, the state convener of the Right to Food Campaign, adding that would help solve the problems faced by the hapless tribals.

“The block level officials are supposed to organise delivery of food grains at their homes but they often ask ration dealers to do it and some of those dealers tamper with the food packets and deliver less than specified 35kg of food grains,” he said when asked about the lapses found.