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Let us work for a better and different KBK
By Umi Daniel
The Southern and Western districts of Orissa are regarded as the most
backward region by the planning commission and re-designated some of
these districts as KBK (Koraput, Bolangir, Kalahandi). During 1992-93,
the three larger districts were re-organized into eight districts:
Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawrangpur, Rayagada, Bolangir, Sonepur,
Kalahandi and Nuapada. These eight districts comprise of 14
Subdivisions, 37 Tehsils, 80 CD Blocks, 1,437 Gram Panchayats and
12,293 villages. The eight districts which form the KBK account for
19.72% population occupy over 30.59% geographical area of the State.
Around 90 % people of this region still live in villages. Female
literacy is only 24.72%. As per the 1997 census of BPL families, about
72% families are below poverty line live in this region which was 82 %
during 1992 census. More specifically, 49 CD Blocks of KBK districts
are regarded as "very backward" and 28 CD Blocks are considered as
"backward". Persistent crop failure, lack of access to the basic
service and entitlements, starvation, malnutrition and migration are
the leading manifestations in the region.
Myths about KBK development:
Removal of regional disparities has been one of the important planks
of the development strategies adopted by Union as well as Orissa
Government during successive Five Year Plans. A Long Term Action Plan
(LTAP) for the KBK districts was formulated in consultation with the
Centre for a period of seven years from 1995-96 to 2001-2002 and was
formally launched by the then Prime Minister on August 18, 1995. LTAP
was formulated with two principal objectives in view: (i) drought and
distress proofing, and (ii) poverty alleviation and development
saturation.
Despite the much-hyped declaration, subsequent events suggest that no
separate provision were made in the Union budget in the name of "KBK
Yojana". It was mentioned in the third Revised LTAP that in the field
of rural development other then the allotted money of central plan
there would be an additional requirement of Rs. 715.15 Crore.
Similarly, in the field of agriculture, health and family welfare,
employment etc. there will be an additional requirement of Rs. 789.35
Crore. Going through such calculations the Union Ministry of Finance
decided to provide an additional amount of Rs. 1503.85 Crore only.
Subsequently, another Central delegation headed by Yugandhar, the then
Secretary of PMO, after holding discussion with the state government
observed that at both the stage the required amount is Rs. 4,859
crore. In addition, after deducting the already allotted central
assistance of Rs. 4,282.39 crore in those areas, it calculated that
another Rs. 5,76.61 Crore could be provided for these areas. Finally,
the grant amount came down to only a sum of Rs. 389.21 crore. In the
subsequent years what was provided in the name of KBK Yojana or
Revised LTAP was far below from what was announced originally.
Politics of development in KBK:
The first Special Area Development Programme (SADP) of the Union
government was experimented in the region during 1958-1985 when the
Dandakarnya Development Authority (DDA), a ministry of resettlement
and rehabilitation was established by the Centre to rehabilitate and
resettle the 30,000 refugee families of erstwhile East Pakistan. The
early form of KBK was conceived involving Koraput-Bastar and Kalahandi
where the refugees were supposed to be resettled.
However, finally the refugees were settled in Bastar and undivided
Koraput district with huge central government investment,
infrastructure, man power which has sustained for about 30 years. The
project has acquired and reclaimed around 180,000 acres of land
against the target of 260,000 acres for the purpose and launched a
number of developmental programmes. Unfortunately, despite the stated
mandate of DDA to redistribute the fruits of investment to the locals
who have sacrificed their land, common property and natural resources
for the projects have been largely forgotten and denied their
legitimate share.
Furthermore, it is quite troubling to reconcile as how on earth the
central government with all its frontline departments actively worked
for 30 years in remote Malkangiri, Koraput and Bastar covering 30,052
sq km tribal land has failed to realise the intricacies, aspiration
and development of the tribals and messed up with KBK development.
Successive political parties and ruling elites have tried their best
to play with the starving people's aspiration into precious vote bank
and continue to propagate and fuel the starvation and development
politics as key election mantra. While, the Congress wanted to appease
its loyal tribal voters through KBK yojana with multi million budget,
the BJD conveniently used the time tested divide and rule policy as
weapon to dismantle the collective bargaining of the people of these
districts through redrawing the new district boundaries. Today the BJD
has successfully demolished the Congress domination in the region and
now repackaged the KBK in a brand new wrapper and named as Biju KBK.
Time will tell whether the legends name will do any black magic in
KBK.
The outcome:
In his report dated March 13, 2006 to NHRC, the Special Rapporteur,
NHRC has observed, among other things, that " poverty in the KBK
region has to be considered in its specific context by recognizing not
only the incidence of poverty as per national norm but also the depth
and severity of poverty which distinguishes it from poverty in other
parts of the country and calls for special strategies and concerted
action".
The New Delhi based Institute of Applied Manpower and Research, which
was entrusted by the Union government to review the KBK programme
revealed that despite of the Central aid of Rs 4,544 Crore under the
KBK head (1995-96 to 2005-06), it has not really changed the living
condition of the people.
Marathon KBK reviews by planning commission, state government and high
powered committees, CAG's rims of reports on financial ineptness,
mindboggling NHRC special rapporteurs observation and recommendation,
lengthy debate and discussion in Parliament and State Assembly has
hardly produced any significant and visible result in the region.
The failure of development, unequal resources distribution and
depressing poverty has perhaps fueled the emergence of Maoist movement
in this region. The radical people's movement has been slowly and
steadily strengthening its base and influence in the tribal region. As
a consequence, the central government's focus and priority for the
region has significantly shifted from development to more of law
enforcement and counter Maoist programme implementation.
On the other hand, the state government which used to demand and argue
for more development funds for the KBK has started bargaining for more
budget, infrastructure and equipment to tackle Maoist movement. It is
a complex, egg and chicken situation for the government to consider
whether development is the best way to tackle the spread of radical
movement or armed counter strategies is the best option for brining
development to the region.
Need for a collective vision and action:
Where to go from here? Is there any readymade, quick fix or instant
recipe available to solve the historic, structural and complex social,
economical, environmental, ethnic and political issues of KBK. No one
has the answer, but the people of this region perhaps have some
solution. Some process should be embarked on to involve, engage and
give a patience hearing to common people's idea, suggestion and
alternatives. The people led change process should begin afresh.
The process of engagement and idea's can be structured and open,
cognitive level or based on practical experimentation, local knowledge
or state of the art technology oriented, basic service, entitlement,
social justice and resources management focused, larger policy
formulation vis-à-vis enforcement of the existing ones, and notably,
creating a political determination and bureaucratic action is must.
In an effort to engage, dialogue, critique, and contribute to the
politics and processes of development policy and action in KBK, a
forum known as "KBK roundtable" citizen's initiative for development
and change has been underway. The forum is an open and voluntary
platform for concern citizens from all walks of life to come together
and to find out a local and collective solution to the historical
deprivation, backwardness and poverty of people of KBK and the region
through an active engagement with the government and civil society
organizations for a better different and developed KBK. A viable forum
need to be evolved as collective groups in all the eight districts
including Phulbani and Gajapati districts to facilitate the following:
1. Create pressure group and be a watch dog on KBK development.
2. Socio-economic research to understand the issues in depth and
educate the people and influence policy makers.
3. Create a pool of local experts and intelligentsia who can help
rebuilding the lost vision and plan alternatives development paradigm.
4. Budgetary and financial analysis of programmes and projects in KBK
to demystify the politics of budget, fund and its utilization.
5. Workshop, seminars and consultations to seek people views,
suggestion and prepare peoples vision for a different KBK.
6. People's assembly and public hearing to expose bottleneck,
irregularities and bungling of development fund and programmes.
7. Interaction with press, people in politics, bureaucrat, NGO and
larger civil society to air dissent and alternatives.
8. Publication and disseminations to reach-out people, media and
policy makers.
9. Networking and alliance building process to strengthen collective
vision, action and advocacy.
10. Demand and assert revision of KBK plans and inclusion
of other similar districts having similar problems and end regional
disparities.
The author actively works on the issues related to the deprived
section of Orissa. You can send your comments and suggestions at
janatavikasmanch@gmail.com . And, visit www.jvmonline.com for more
details.
--
Ch.Santakar
Pujariput
Koraput-764020
Orissa
Mob:09437192553
e-mail:santakar@gmail.com
web:www.koraputonline.com
