Government had allocated 42 crores for the upliftment of Pahadi Korwas, a tribal community. Under this project, a road was developed in the Kach Ketha village costing Rs.17.44 lakhs. However, the officials failed to notice that there was only one Korwa family in that village and they were suffering from acute water shortage. Also, these funds were grossly misappropriated as only 'Lal Mitti' was put over a Kutcha road. As Ramdas says, "Instead of spending Rs.17.44 lakhs of that road, if they had spent a few thousands on improving the damaged well on my land, wouldn't that have been better?"

(i) What according to you would have truly benefitted Ramdas Korwa— developing the road or improving the well?

(ii) Rs.17.44 lakhs were spent on developing the road. Is this cost justified?

(iii) What values do you find disturbing in the above case?

Open in App

Solution

(i) I think that Ramdas Korwa would have benefitted if the well on his field was improved because it would have ensured year-long availability of water and would have helped him to increase his agricultural output.

(ii) No, I don't think that this cost is justified. The road built was not `Pucca'. Only Lal Mitti was put over a Kutcha road. This clearly indicates that funds were misappropriated.

(iii) The problems with this case are:

Total disregard towards the needs of the poor people

Gross negligence

Corruption

Suggest Corrections

Similar questions

Q. Principle: Damages are payable for breach of contract and the purpose of damages is to compensate him for the loss suffered and not to improve his position more than what is would have been if the contract had been duly performed.
Facts: A wanted to buy a house and he contracted with a surveyor S to inspect a particular house and value it for him. S surveyed the house and valued if for

R s . 10

lakhs. S, however, failed to notice the defective plumbing system in the house and had he taken not of it, the house would have been worthy only

R s . 8

lakhs. A followed S's advice and bought the house for

R s . 8

lakhs and thereafter spent

R s . 4

lakhs for repairing the plumbing system. He filed a suit against S claiming

R s . 4

lakhs as damages.

Q. Principles: Damages are payable for breach of contract and the purpose of damages is to compensate him for the loss suffered and not to improve his position more than what it would have been if the contract had been duly performed.
Facts: A wanted to buy a house and he contracted with a surveyor S to inspect a particular house and value it for him. S surveyed the house and valued it for Rs.10 lakhs. S, however, failed to notice the defective plumbing system in the house and had he taken note of it, the house would have been worth only Rs.8 lakhs. A followed S's advice and bought the house for Rs. 8 lakhs and thereafter spent Rs.4 lakhs for repairing the plumbing system. He filed a suit against S claiming Rs. 4 lakhs as damages.

Q. Legal Principle: Damages are payable for breach of contract and the purpose of damages is to compensate him of the loss suffered and not to improve his position more than what it would have been if the contract had been duly performed.

Factual situation: A wanted to buy a house and he contracted with surveyor S to inspect a particular house and value it for him. S surveyed the house and valued it for Rs 10 lakhs. S, however , failed to notice the defective plumbing system in the house and had he taken note of it, the house would have been worth only Rs 8 lakhs. A followed S's adivce and bought the house for Rs 10 lakhs and thereafter spent Rs 4 lakhs for repairing the plumbing system. He filed a suit against S claiming Rs 4 lakhs as damages.

Q. Read the following news items:
Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villages depends on tankers for all their needs. Bhagavan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, irons rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks, constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nlmone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men caste men were against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for lower castes.
(Adopted, from Indian Express, 'May 1, 2004.)

(a) Why was Bhagavan beaten?

(b) Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

Read the following news item.

Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villagers depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagvan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, iron rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nimone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were against this and told him that the tanker was not meant for lower castes.

Adapted from Indian Express, May 1, 2004

(a) Why was Bhagvan beaten?

(b) Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

Join BYJU'S Learning Program