After a controversy erupted in Madhya Pradesh over distribution of shoes and chappals to the tendu leaves pluckers that the foot wears were laced with chemicals causing cancer, Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has sought a reply from the laghu Udyog Nigam (lUN) that had supplied the foot wears to the Government.
The controversy took place regarding the footwears, the Government was distributing to the beneficiaries in the State. A report received from Central leather Research Institute (ClRI), indicating the use of Azo in the inner sole of footwears given to them. Azo is a banned chemical, which could cause skin cancer, the report added.
The Congress has accused the ruling BJP of playing with the health of tribals engaged in tendu patta plucking in forests of Madhya Pradesh, saying that the Government is engaged in commission game only. Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has said that his party would lodge an FIR in the matter.
On the contrary, State forest minister Gaurishnkar Shejwar said that Footwear Development and Design Institute, Noida and another Union government's institute in Chennai had carried out testing of footwears and nothing like presence of Azo was found in any of the random samples sent to them were found but ClIR, which is part of CSRI, in its report has confirmed presence of Azo.
Meanwhile, the State government in its clarification over the matter said that it has distributed over 18 lakh shoes and slippers to tendu leaf collectors for their convenience. The footwears were distributed after ensuring their quality only.
In a statement, Shejwar told that the Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce Federation has set a target of distributing shoes to 11.23 lakh men, slippers to 11.11 lakh women and 22.35 lakh water bottles to all the tendu patta collectors under Charan Paduka Yojana. Under this, shoes have already been distributed to 8.14 lakh male and slippers to 10.20 lakh female tendu leaf collectors till now. The shoes and slippers have been purchased through the Madhya Pradesh laghu Udyog Nigam. Distribution of quality shoes and slippers to the collectors has been ensured.
Prior to their distribution, quality testing is essentially conducted by two prestigious institutes of the country – the Footwear Design and Development Institute, Noida and Central leather Research Institute, Chennai. A pre-delivery test is also conducted by one institution. For the purpose of cross checking the quality, re-tested is conducted by the second institution before distribution.
Shejwar further said that 2 lakh shoes out of the samples sent for testing have been rejected after excess amount of Azodie was found in the inner sole. No payment has been made so far to the company as yet. The company has already been ordered to change the inner sole. After the replacement of innersole, shoes will be re-examined by the laboratories of the Government of India and then shoes will be distributed to the beneficiaries.
The slippers distributed to the women are not of sub-standard quality. Their slippers are of good quality. Shoes of sub-standard quality have not been distributed to the male tendu leaf collectors. Shoes are only distributed after the quality check.
Besides, 11.09 lakh sarees to the female tendu leaf collectors and 22.30 lakh water bottles to all the tendu leaf collectors have already been distributed.