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Saturday, 15 September 2001  
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Curbing drought-relief vices

The continued failure of the rains portends a prolonged drought and multiplying hardships but the news is that even this bleak situation is attracting conmen and racketeers intent on making a fast buck. A few days back we quoted the co-ordinator of the State-run Drought Relief Bureau as saying that drought assistance provided by some private individuals and organisations is finding its way into retail shops in the affected areas.

An important point made by the official is that some drought assistance which is not being made through State channels, is not ending up in the hands of the needy. Instead, they are being collected by relatively better off villagers living along the main highways of Hambantota and other drought-affected areas. It is such donations which make an appearance in retail sales outlets.

We also learn that these areas are not short of devious politicians who gather donations provided by private sources and distribute them among the drought victims, posing as their benefactors and guardians.

We gather that there are many more rackets which are going uncurbed. We see here the dangers of side-stepping State drought-relief institutions which are handling these operations in a more systematic and co-ordinated manner. As we indicated in our news report, it is best that prospective drought relief donors contact the divisional secretariats of the areas concerned for the purpose channelling assistance.

These officials in turn should ensure that drought assistance thus accepted is accounted for and distributed in a rational and systematic manner. We strongly emphasise the need for procedures of accountability among drought-relief officials, if these are not already in place.

As the days pass, adverse effects of the drought are making their presence felt in more and more areas, some of them outside the Southern Province. There were reports that some major lakes and waterways in the North Central Province have gone dry. Districts such as Puttalam, Ampara and Ratnapura are also beginning to feel the effects of the drought acutely. The need thus grows to expand the scope of relief operations. Besides targeting the needy we need to ensure that all the areas needing relief are covered by the State drought relief effort.

The Drought Relief Steering Committee, currently operates as the apex State body handling relief operations. If the vices abounding in the provision of relief are to be minimised, all donations need to be directed to this committee which functions under a senior minister. Defeating the drought wouldn't prove difficult if the highest humanitarian principles are brought to bear in the relief effort. Besides the law must be stringently enforced on parasitical interests which are intent on making a mockery of the State-supervised relief operation.


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