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Monday, September 14, 2009

From {KBK OTable}: The silent Genocide

"Cholera's reputation as a killer has been earned over the centuries,
but modern advances mean we now have the scientific and public health
solutions. However, the conditions which enable cholera to be spread -
lack of knowledge, poverty and social inequity - also need to be
challenged-Ronald Waldman WHO,

One very important issue which Dr. Waldman and any medical
practitioner may tend to agree that, cholera or diarrhea is a sheer
outcome of poverty, inequity and a state of denial of access to basic
services. The 40 diarrheal deaths in Lanjigarh in Kalahandi or
hundreds of death in the past in Kashipur, Thuamularampur and
Dasmantpur have been the result of several known factors and
conditions like contaminated water and food made of toxic mango kernel
and consumption of dead animal meat etc,. Part of KBK region become
famous for gastro, Anthrax, cholera and malaria deaths which is bit
less political and controversial for the administration to handle than
the starvation deaths which used to make national news sometime back.
However, simply one can't rule out the invisible Hunger which I feel
is the single most factor for all human-made spates of cholera,
diarrhea and other epidemic in the region. Those who know the region
well will agree-normally rainy days are the lean interlude in the food
and employment seasonality of tribals creating a crisis like
situation. During rainy days, tribal living in hilly terrains don't
have access to gainful employment to meet his/her food and other basic
requirements nor find any traditional forest food e.g. tubers and wild
roots which is essential ingredient of tribal food security. Mango
kernel as food supplement of tribal has been in practice since ages to
cope up the rainy day hunger in most part of undivided Koraput and
Kalahandi and in the past has lead to gastro related complications and
deaths. The health workers who generally stays at the panchayt
headquarters finds difficult to move to the remote villages or arrange
emergency medical health. While the ill-equipped administration stays
busy in countering and firefighting the diarrhea and cholera deaths,
the post monsoon season brings in malaria as killer epidemic to the
region. Even a cursory observation of the situation may suggest that
diarrhea and malaria are the major contributory factors of deaths in
the tribal area, which mainly occurs during the pre and post monsoon
season.

Predominantly, outbreak of cholera has been customarily reported from
Dasmanthpur, kashipur, Laxmipur, Thuamulrampur, Lanjigarh blocks
which are contiguously located. Within these blocks there are well
identified villages and Panchayats which are inaccessible, remote and
mostly get cut off during rain. In the past ten years, cyclic
diarrheal deaths have been reported from one or other villages located
in these districts.

Generally, the district administrations of these districts hold
natural calamity meeting prior to the onset of monsoon. The meeting
prepares usual contigent plan to tackle untimely and heavy rain which
creates havoc in the districts. However, I am not sure whether the
calamity meeting also discuss, identify, map and spot the most
vulnerable panchayats not having potable drinking water, road
communication, make a reality check on referral services available
Anganwadis, PHCs, CHCs and district hospital. The district
administration are supposed to have records, cases, data, mapping of
the area and frequency of such disaster occurred in past. The water
resource and PWD wings at the district should be having the list of
villages which lack potable water sources, or information on the
number of workable and defunct tube wells in every villages etc.
Needless to say that the tribal welfare department, Civil supplies
department and DRDA should know the status of implementation wage
employment and food scheme during rainy day or should be having some
plan and strategy to implement and continue employment generation and
food schemes in monsoon to curtail hunger and destitutions. Similarly,
the state under its disaster management or relief wings should have
proactive measures, adequate preventive action and timely intervention
to address these situations for which precious lives can be protected.

I remember, few years back when the starvation deaths were reported
from these regions, the state government issued an official communiqué
making the Sarpanch of the panchayat accountable for any kind of
starvation death reported from its jurisdiction. (It's in fact easy to
get Sarpach being accountable for everything as s/he is the softest
target!) But, despite hundreds of people dying due to diarrhea and
cholera; none has been held accountable for the utter apathy and
in-efficiency at the official level leading to such deaths. Moreover,
one of key focus of the KBK LTAP is to improve the basic health
delivery system in the region. However, preparedness of the
administration in terms of effective implementation of food and
employment generation schemes, drinking water, health services is
conspicuously missing in addressing hunger and diseases in KBK
regions.

In the 21st century when the human-kind boost modern scientific
innovation on health and disaster management, the people in (rather
infamous) KBK region are dying preventable deaths. This is a great
shame for the modern civilization to witness the genocide of tribal
which is going on silently in this underdeveloped region.

===================
Umi Daniel
M2/315, Satyasai Enclave
Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar
Mob: 9937019196

visit my blog: http://orissamigration.blogspot.com/

--
Ch.Santakar
Pujariput
Koraput-764020
Orissa
Mob:09437192553
e-mail:santakar@gmail.com
web:www.koraputonline.com

Thursday, August 27, 2009

An article in KBK: Let us work for a better and different KBK by Umi Daniel

Friends !
This is an Article sent by
Sai Prasan

Member,

JVM

E-mail: janatavikasmanch@gmail.com

Web: www.jvmonline.com

===================================================

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

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

VCRC might opt to Go from Koraput

Influx of police forces into Koraput district to counter naxalism in the region without proper planning by the state government has created more problems both for the civil and police administration . The additional forces who were sent to the district have occupied important civil buildings causing serious problems for the implementation of welfare programmes . Such was the case with the Vector Control Research Centre(VCRC) which is on the verge of shifting its establishment to some other part of the country if steps were not taken to provide adequate accommodation to the research unit within the next two days , official sources said .
The research unit with its head quarter at Pondicherry was approached by the district administration after having failed to control the spread of malaria in the district even after carrying out several malaria eradication programme such as DDT spray and supply of bed nets .The research unit of the central government had readily agreed to provide support the district by conducting research on the disease causing mosquitoes in the district apart from conducting tests and providing required medicines free of cost to the patients . The district collector also had allotted the blood bank building near his office for the research unit to function a few months back .
While the unit started delivering good results in the district by collecting blood smear slides even from the difficult blocks like Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon , suddenly one fine morning they had found their building getting occupied by some police personnel last month . While the research centre was to function with paracytology and Entomology divisions , equipped with highly sophisticated instruments , many of them could not be unpacked for use as the portion of the building that was left by the police was insufficient . The blood smear slides are kept in bundles in the open air even though it was required to be tested immediately after bringing them to the centre . Hundreds of patients were devoid of getting the required attention , officials alleged .
The police administration which had assured to vacate within a month had remained silent even after the assured time period expired on Monday . Even though more forces were brought in to the building on Sunday night , the district administration too remained helpless to come out with any solution . While the police administration wanted alternate accommodation for the occupying policemen to leave the premises , there was no suitable official building with the district administration to provide in lieu of the blood bank building, Gadadhar Parida , District Collector said .
There was an acute shortage of infrastructure for the existing police force in the district . In addition to that there were about 800 new recruits and special police force personnel taking training in the newly established police training centre at Koraput , Deepak Kumar , SP , Koraput said . Further with the arrival of one more battalion of CRPF problems related to the accommodation was compounded . The CRPF personnel were taking rest in the police station at Sunabeda while keeping their luggage in the police van , he added . Proper planning to manage the forces and the civilian units of the society , if not brought with immediate effect , situation might go worse in the district , people felt .