Status of women in Orissa
Mrs Namita Panda, Chairperson, State Commission on Women, Orissa
Giving an overview of the Status of women in Orissa, Mrs. Panda said that literacy, especially of the disadvantaged women, was a prerequisite for their development. Observing that nearly 50% of female population in Orissa were illiterate, Mrs. Panda said that the literacy rate was even less that 21% in backward districts like Nawrangpur, Malkangiri etc. Speaking on the impact of natural disasters on women, Mrs. Panda said that women were usually the worst sufferers during and after a natural calamity. Poor access to information, rise in vulnerability to sexual crime, exploitation and lack of space make their position more vulnerable, she observed. However, development has to be customized for women living in interior and tribal areas in their own cultural context, she reiterated, adding that such women should not feel alienated and receive education in their own language.
Development & Displacement: An alternative model
Mr. Balaji Pandey, Director, Institute of Socio-Economic Development (ISED)
Mr. Pandey spoke on his research experiences spanning a decade on displaced people due to industrialization. Stating that a sensitive and pro-people system was highly required to look into the Resettlement & Rehabilitation (R&R) policy, Mr. Pandey said that the state should not continue being oblivious to the people’s problems and the ground realities. Based on his experiences and research on displacees in 14 development projects in Orissa, he said that none of the promises made by the government to the affected people in providing education, employment, health, drinking water facilities etc have been fulfilled.
The ongoing development programmes he termed ‘horrible’ as they induced crisis and resentment among people. If the present problems of the affected people are not rectified, it will result in a bigger crisis.
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Mr. Balaji Pandey
Director, ISED |
Orissa was not the only state where people have lost faith and trust in the state, Mr. Pandey continued. Displacees throughout the country do not have faith in the government, which seems to be a sad commentary on the state. Lamenting the lack of genuine and authentic information, Mr. Pandey said no information on the impact of mining and other industrialization process exists, based on which policies can be formulated in the future. It's high time that the impact has to be assessed and the data needs to be monitored.
Babudom and development bottlenecks in Orissa
Mr. Mihir Mohanty, Mayor, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)
An inefficient bureaucracy is one of the biggest hindrances for development in Orissa. The bureaucracy is a “burden inherited from the British” . Instead of changing with the times, the administration is proving to be one of the biggest bottlenecks in the development process, said Mr. Mihir Mohanty.
He accused administrators of having an upper hand and not providing adequate support to political representatives. Speaking further on administrative reforms, Mr. Mohanty suggested the following:
- He suggested the practice of appointing professionals in top jobs rather then senior bureaucrats, so that healthy competition prevails and desired results can be achieved.
- "Reform, perform or perish" was the message given by Mr. Mohanty for the inefficient bureaucracy. Education and training of bureaucrats is highly necessary, he said.
- Centers of good governance where bureaucrats can be trained should be promoted.
- Reduction in red tapism, accountability etc should also be propagated among the bureaucrats, failing which they would be taken to task.
- Besides, the proactive role of civil society organizations and the creation of an urban cadre, media activism in critically analyzing the inefficient bureaucrats is also important.
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Mr. Mihir Mohanty
Mayor, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation |
Adivasi Rights: Literacy movement in KBK districts
Mr. B. B. Patnaik, eminent Oriya writer
Speaking on the literacy movement among tribal women, Mr. B. B. Patnaik said that despite several attempts by the govt. and the civil society, a large number of Adivasi or tribal women continue to remain illiterate. Emphasizing the role of education in development, he said that in Bolangir district nearly 4000 nominations papers from women were rejected because the applicants were not literate. As a suggestion, he proposed an appropriate method for frequently used tribal words to be integrated in the mainstream Oriya language so that it can be perceived better by the tribals. He concluded by saying that none of the development policies can be successfully implemented unless people are educated.
Politics of Development in Orissa
Mr. Prafulla Das, The Hindu, Bhubaneswar
Mr. Das remarked that it was unfair to say that the media was only responsible for highlighting development issues, because it is not their responsibility alone. Moreover, the media has its own constraints and compulsions which is hardly debated, he said. Adding that rather than holding the media accountable, the role of government should be critically analyzed. Condemning the Orissa Government for losing the faith and confidence of the people, he said that all the tall claims made by the government are yet to be fulfilled or implemented. Mr. Das said that though 45 MOUs have been signed for steel plants so far in Orissa, of which 20 have started production, yet no guidelines or policy framework has been prepared by the government. A separate R&R Directorate is yet to be established despite the government's assurance, he added. The Govt. has been trying to hoodwink the people by suddenly giving importance to agriculture when in reality it has neglected the sector miserably all these years.
When people talk about the violation of genuine human rights and environment issues, they are unfortunately branded as anti state and outlaws. Administrators, who are at the helm of development projects, need to be called to such interfaces and be answerable to the citizens for the failure of govt. programmes. |
Mr. Prafulla Das
The Hindu, Bhubaneswar |
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