(News) Bundelkhand Dacoits seek cut on NREG funds

Dacoits of Bundelkhand are thriving on Government’s development schemes by extorting commission from gram pradhans to allow them carry out work under NREG or other development schemes. The gram pradhans have received threatening letters to part with 10 per cent of the project cost. The threat is so intense in some areas that pradhans do not spend nights in their villages. Sanjo Kol, gram pradhan of Gidurah in Chitrakoot district, received one such letter that says no development work should be carried out without the permission of ‘Dasyu Samrat’ Raja Yadav alias Khan and paying him 10 per cent of the contract amount. “Yadi is letter ka apmaan hua to dushmani ho jayegi aur aapko goli maar di jayegi,” the letter said.

A shepherd delivered the letter to Sanjo on February 8, 2010, when she was supervising construction of a check dam. “I stopped coming to the village for almost a fortnight and reported the matter to police. But nothing happened,” Sanjo told The Pioneer. Pradhans of villages Ranipur, Nihi, Bandhwa Kalyanpur and Khichdi have received similar threat. None of the pradhans, however, admit that they had given a cut to dacoits.

Raja Yadav, who was carrying reward of Rs 50,000 on his dead, was shot by STF of Uttar Pradesh Police on May 17. Chitrakoot, the south-western side of the State, is famous for its ravines. Dacoits use this corridor to move to Madhya Pradesh. Top dacoits Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua and Ambika Patel alias Thokia ruled these ravines for almost three decades. After their death new breed of dacoits have cropped up in this region who fleece villagers.  The threat from the dacoits is so intense that pradhans give a slip to their villages as night falls. Nand Lal of Khichadi village said he along with his wife Phaguni, a pradhan, spend nights in Manikpur tehsil. “We have taken a small house on rent. We come back to our village in early morning,” Nand Lal said.

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Courtesy: Dailypioneer.com