The scheme of providing iodised salt to 35 lakh poor families at a subsidized rate of 50 paise per kg in 2010 was announced with much pomp and show but ironically it remained nothing more than an announcement.
Sources revealed that no family under Below Poverty line (BPl) received iodised salt under this scheme till date due to political instability and bureaucratic red tapism.
The scheme had first been announced in early 2010 by the Shibu Soren Government when then Deputy Chief Minister Raghuvar Das, in charge of Finance Department, had announced that the State would supply iodised salt to BPl families at 25 paise per kg.
The scheme was re-announced by the Arjun Munda Government later.The proposal was finally passed by the cabinet in August, 2011 but the prices just got doubled 50 paise per kg due to the Reserve Bank of India’s decision of withdrawing 25 paise coin from circulation.
The department after much delay short-listed a Gujarat based firm Vishal salt Industries for the job and decided to bring around 12,000 metric tonnes salt in the first phase. However, former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Mathura Prasad Mahto said that due to constant change of Governments the scheme went out of the priority list as a result of which not even a single grain of salt was given supplied by the assigned bidder.
He said, “Under Arjun Munda Government the long awaited scheme was initiated and for two to three times even the salt was supplied in various district of the state but it cannot be continued as the Munda Government fell within few months.”
According to Mahto the scheme is presently gathering the dust on the table of the Government.No official of the concerned department were not available to throw light on the issue and those who were available were not aware about the scheme.
A District Supply officer said, “In our district the scheme has not been implemented. Not even a single iodized salt sack has been sent for the BPl family ever since the announcement was made.”