Visakhapatnam: Two acts-The Legal Metrology Act 2009 and Andhra Pradesh (Andhra region) Scheduled Areas Money Lenders Regulation Act 1960- which have been meant for protection of the poor were never implemented in the tribal areas of the district.

It is an irony that the Legal Metrology Department organised awareness programmes to educate rich consumers in urban Visakhapatnam on Wednesday on the occasion of World Consumer Day but chose not to make any effort in tribal areas.

Come every harvest season the non-tribal moneylenders and merchants visit the tribal villages with their unauthorised and banned traditional measurement tools like "Kunchams." These measuring instruments were banned ages ago and they were never used in urban areas. But the tools were being indiscriminately used by moneylenders and merchants to hoodwink the poor tribal people. But the government officials usually turn a blind eye to the practice.

“One of the reason for the poverty in the tribal area is failure on the part of the officials to implement Legal Metrology Act and Moneylenders Regulation Act,’’ Said P S Ajay, a social worker who addressed several letters to the government and the collector here.

The Moneylenders Regulation Act came into force in 1960 but never used in the scheduled areas of the district as per the information obtained from the Collector under RTI ACT.

The moneylenders, mostly non-tribals from the plains of neighbouring East Godavari district, are given free access to operate and exploit poor tribal people.

According to the Act, whoever wants to do money lending business in tribal areas must obtain permission from the collector. “But not a single moneylender obtained permission from the collector so far,’’ he said.

Ajay said as far as Aadhaar enrolment is concerned, despite Supreme Court order, the entire administration is pushing tribals to the Aadhar centres. But at same time not a single non-tribal moneylender was asked the register their names and obtain the permissions.

The ITDA also miserably failed to curb money lending in tribal areas.

Source: