Chhattisgarh tribals have gold but struggle for living

Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh, Sep 11 (UNI) The denizens of tribal-dominated Jashpur district's Farsabahar and Pathalgaon areas have to struggle for two square meals a day despite having gold in their hands.

''Due to exploitation by middlemen, there has not been even a trace of change in the economic condition of hundreds of impoverished tribals who have been long ekeing out an existence by searching for gold particles in the soil and sand on the banks of the Eeb and Sonajari rivers,'' former MP Pushpadevi Singh told UNI today.

The monsoon yield is higher.

For years, villagers have been cheated while attempting to sell the particles at nearby weekly markets. An announcement -- made a decade back -- about opening of a National Mineral Development Corporation office at Tapkara for purchase of gold particles, remains unfulfilled, Ms Singh alleged.

''Collected soil and sand are repeatedly washed in wooden vessels and then the gold particles isolated. Children and even aged people are involved,'' she explained.

Pathalgaon's Sub-Divisional Magistrate Santosh Devangan assured that strict action would be taken against middlemen if any exploitation-linked complaint was received.

Bhuinhar, Oraon and Jhora castes predominate among the roughly 500 families whose livelihood depends on gold-seeking.

Jewellers' shops in this forested region give a mere Rs 40-50 for every paddy grain's weight of gold particles. The paddy is cunningly dampened prior to weighing so that its weight increases.

Official sources said that a geologists' team camped at Pandripani, conducted a survey and confirmed the presence of gold, diamonds and uranium in Farsabahar, Tapkara and Pathalgaon.

''An aerial survey revealed the presence of kimberlite pipes in Tapkara and a private company conducted a survey,'' said Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Open University Vice-Chancellor T D Sharma.

UNI