AGRA/MUZAFFARNAGAR/MEERUT: Rabia Biwi, a daily wage labourer, from Sanjhak village in Muzaffarnagar is all praise for the free ration provided twice a month by the Yogi government during Covid-19 but in the same breath point towards cooking stove and cylinder, she got under Ujjwala scheme but could not refill even once due sharp rise in prices.
Rabia, who comes from a backward Ansari community under Purqazi constituency, earns Rs 300 every day by working in the brick kiln industry or at the construction site, says the cylinder has been lying as a showpiece in her house for several months.
Several people across the region, having varied sources of income, mention near zero-subsidy on gas cylinders and how the price has increased from Rs 450 to Rs 1000 per cylinder within the past several months.
“I use chulha for cooking at home and the cylinder is for emergency purposes. How can we afford it amidst the rising prices of all essentials – cooking oil, pulses, rice, and wheat,” says Rajshriya Prajapati, 65, a vegetable seller.
There is no doubt that the majority of people in the region speak well about the free ration scheme and how it helped them survive during the lockdown but rising prices are taking a heavy toll on them. The government has extended the ration scheme till March this year and there looms a fear of running a kitchen with decreased incomes.
While there is a lot of criticism about efforts by the BJP government to polarize the state in communal stances but across the communities, many accept that the present dispensation has succeeded in checking crime in West UP, which is notorious for criminal activities.
With the first phase of polling Thursday, women voters are expected to play an important factor in government formation and free ration and law and order is one that is on their minds. There are a total of 15 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh, of which 6.98 crore are females and they outnumbered men at polling booths in 2012 and 2017 in the state.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Robin Chitwal, a MA (final year) student at Agra University says that he has been waiting for recruitment to start but it is never-ending. He mentions that his two elder brothers are now over age to apply for some positions and are sitting idle at home.
“My father is a worried man because all three sons who he educated with his meager income are jobless. I have filled out some forms but there is no information about when the recruitment process will start. Consecutive governments have failed to address it,” said Chitwal, as he flashes his phone to show his admit card for the Railways Non-Technical Popular Categories exam, which saw protests over irregularities.
Youths from the Muslim community also talk about the lack of jobs but they also mention the discrimination they have to undergo during any recruitment. “Sometimes, they (recruitment agencies) just look at our names and decide not to even process our application form. We have to not just prepare for exams but also fight out discrimination,” said Atif Mohamed, 21, a first-time voter in the Sardhana constituency of Meerut.