ICPRD

Eminent citizens representing a wide spectrum of society - media, social sciences, government, presented their views on various governance issues in the state of Orissa.

Orissa: A State of Paradoxes?

‘Though Orissa is rich in all kind of resources, yet it remains one the poorest of the country. Though Orissa topped the growth rate at 8.5% in the year 2004-05, higher than the national average of 8%, the number of people below the poverty line (BPL) is the highest in the State. Despite Orissa having the richest mineral resources in the country only 1% of its resources are presently being used!’

Mr. N. Patnaik
Economic Times

Mr. Nageshwar Patnaik stated that the Government had failed to formulate an appropriate Natural Resources Management policy. According to him, though the State Government has been propagating the mantra of industrialization in the recent years, it has been neglecting the agricultural sector where the compound growth rate is negative. A special agricultural policy needs to be adopted here too, he stated. Although four-lakh crore investments has been proposed in Orissa so far, yet mega investment projects have been meeting stiff resistance, said Mr. Patnaik, mostly because the affected people have never been considered as equity holders in their own land.

The State has also failed miserably to use technology required for agriculture. Modern Technology can have a tremendous impact on forestry, food processing and other allied industry in Orissa. Value addition can be easily done to agriculture products by introducing the latest technology. The environment and human rights issues have also been neglected, Mr. Patnaik added.

He concluded by saying that a paradigm shift in the development approach is needed for a state like Orissa to prosper, despite being endowed with abundant natural resources.

Tribal Development in Orissa : A Synoptic View
Prof. L. Mahapatra, former Vice Chancellor and Anthropologist

Prof. L. Mahapatra traced the history of the tribals in Orissa and noted that earlier there was no confrontation between the tribals and non-tribal people in Orissa. However, due to “non-governance and mis-governance,” one finds the tribal-non-tribal juxtaposition since the colonial times.

No Safeguards for Tribal Displacees

‘Neither the government - nor the bureaucracy implement the very principles they have devised for safeguarding the interest of the tribal displacees. For example, the declared 2000 policy of bestowing ownership of land rights in 5th Schedule areas and sub-plan areas up to 30 slope of the hill would benefit the tribal displaces. However, these rights have not been given as the revenue settlement rules had not been finalized and implemented even in 2005.’

Prof. L. K. Mahapatra
Former Vice Chancellor and Anthropologist

Most of the anomalies could be sorted out either by instituting fast courts or Gram Nayalayas as provided in the Bill passed by the Central Govt. recently which would follow summary legal procedures for criminal and civil cases in tribal areas, he suggested.