Row over distribution of footwear to MP tribals

Bhopal: A row has erupted over distribution of foot wears to tribals eking out a living on forest produce by Madhya Pradesh government with a Central government-run research institute finding use of a banned chemical in a sample of the shoes, procured for the beneficiaries.

While Opposition Congress on Saturday announced to file a FIR in the matter accusing the state government of playing with the health of the tribals engaged in tendu leaf plucking, state forest minister Gouri Shankar Sejbahar dismissed the reports on use of AZO, a chemical that causes skin cancer, in the foot wears distributed free of cost to the beneficiaries.

“Of the total 11 foot wears procured for distribution to the tendu leaf collectors, 2 lakh shoes have been rejected owing to presence of the harmful chemical and around 35,000 others were returned due to poor quality.

Around 8.35 lakh shoes have been distributed  which have been found safe in tests in laboratories at two places.