Kerala's Attappadi is a picturesque yet challenging haven for around 33,000 tribal residents. For years, tribal communities have been demanding a Taluk Supply Office to improve food security and ease their hardships.
Published Jan 13, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 13, 2025 | 9:00 AM
For residents of remote hamlets, accessing ration services involves treks of over 70 kilometres. (iStock)
Nestled in the rugged mountains of Kerala’s Palakkad district, Attappadi is a picturesque yet challenging haven for around 33,000 tribal residents.
Amidst its lush greenery and rich cultural heritage, life here is a relentless battle against poverty, malnutrition, and scarce amenities.
The region’s isolation, marked by poor road connectivity and treacherous journeys to the nearest towns along winding roads through dense foliage, amplifies the struggles. Monsoons bring flash floods and soil erosion, further disrupting daily life.
Access to essentials, such as food grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS), remains a daunting task due to the glaring absence of a local Taluk Supply Office.
For years, tribal communities have been demanding this vital facility to improve food security and ease their hardships.
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Attappadi, larger than Alappuzha district, stands in stark contrast to Kerala’s impressive human development strides, grappling with deep socio-economic challenges.
Dominated by lush green hills, cascading waterfalls, and the Silent Valley National Park, this region is home to tribal people from the Irula, Muduga, and Kurumba communities.
These indigenous groups inhabit 193 hamlets spread across rugged, verdant forests within the three panchayats of Agali, Pudur, and Sholayur.
Hilly terrain, poor connectivity, and remote settlements define the area. Most families rely on agriculture and daily-wage labour, benefiting from welfare schemes such as the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) ration cards.
However, accessing essential food supplies remains a critical issue.
Attappadi’s 48 ration shops and services are managed by the Mannarkkad Taluk Supply Office, located 40 kilometres from Agali.
For residents of remote hamlets, accessing ration services involves treks of over 70 kilometres. Poor public transportation and financial struggles exacerbate these challenges.
A tribal family living deep in the forest must undertake a day-long journey to access ration services, incurring travel costs and losing livelihood opportunities – be it subsistence farming, daily wage labour, or forest-based livelihoods such as collecting forest produce.
This logistical hurdle severely impacts food security for these marginalised communities.
For the tribal population of Attappadi, the PDS is not merely a supplementary system but a lifeline.
The region has a high prevalence of malnutrition, particularly among women and children, and the timely distribution of rice, wheat, and other essentials plays a critical role in alleviating hunger.
However, the lack of a Taluk Supply Office within Attappadi often delays the delivery of these essentials.
This issue was highlighted in a report that examined the challenges faced by Attappadi due to the absence of such an office.
The report, prepared by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department (PARD), concluded that establishing the office is a pressing need.
According to the report, complaints about insufficient stock, poor quality of grains, or delays in distribution often go unaddressed because residents find it difficult to approach the Mannarkkad office.
Many tribal families report spending entire days – and significant sums of money – travelling to Mannarkkad to resolve issues.
Such inefficiencies erode the effectiveness of the PDS and deepen the vulnerabilities of these communities.
“Long distances and logistical challenges cause significant delays in processing applications, resolving complaints, and accessing essential services such as ration card renewals or replacements,” an official of the Scheduled Tribes Development Department told South First.
“Imagine a family struggling to feed their children, facing delays in receiving ration entitlements due to bureaucratic hurdles and the logistical nightmare of reaching distant supply offices.
“The gaps in distance and communication also hinder effective data collection, causing inaccuracies in beneficiary lists, delays in issuing AAY cards for the poorest, and difficulties in identifying the most vulnerable.
“Many families in remote areas lack proper documentation, further affecting their eligibility for vital food assistance programmes,” the official added.
The demand for a Taluk Supply Office in Attappadi is over a decade old, with tribal leaders, activists, and local representatives repeatedly stressing the need for localised solutions to address the region’s unique challenges.
Despite promises by successive governments, no concrete action has been taken. Officials cite administrative convenience in keeping Mannarkkad as the central hub for PDS operations, but this approach ignores Attappadi’s socio-economic and geographical realities, leaving thousands to fend for themselves.
Meanwhile, the PARD report also highlights that the current system poses significant challenges for officials.
“The long distances between the supply office and the remote villages make it extremely difficult to conduct regular inspections of ration shops, monitor the quality of food grains, and prevent irregularities in distribution.
Concerns regarding the quality of food grains, the timely delivery of rations, and the potential for misuse of ration cards often go unaddressed due to the logistical constraints faced by the officials,” reads an excerpt from the report.
The report emphasises that the establishment of a Tribal Taluk Supply Office in Attappadi could transform the region’s food security landscape.
By reducing the need for tribal families to travel long distances for services such as ration card corrections and grievance redressal, the office would improve accessibility and save both time and money.
Managing 48 ration shops locally would streamline operations, address stock shortages, and ensure the timely delivery of essentials.
With dedicated staff, regular inspections could enhance accountability, preventing malpractices such as hoarding or overcharging.
Moreover, the office could cater to the specific dietary and nutritional needs of the tribal population, facilitating special programmes for malnourished children and pregnant women.
By addressing delays and inefficiencies, a local office would strengthen food security, ensuring no family is left without access to basic supplies.
This initiative would not only improve service delivery but also play a vital role in combating hunger and malnutrition in Attappadi.
Setting up a Taluk Supply Office in Attappadi is both feasible and essential, finds the PARD report.
Agali, already the administrative hub with offices such as the Block Panchayat and Tribal Development Office, has the infrastructure to accommodate this addition with minimal investment.
This long-pending demand highlights the systemic marginalisation of Attappadi’s tribal population.
It is said that establishing the office would streamline the Public Distribution System, ensuring food security for the region’s most vulnerable communities.
A dedicated Tribal Taluk Supply Office would not only alleviate hardships but also reaffirm the government’s pledge to social justice and equitable development.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
