See http://www.livemint.com/2008/11/26224633/Kandhamal-in-perspective.html.

Following is an from a PTI report in Hindu.

Orissa government has asked the Centre to adopt a long term plan for Kandhamal, prone to ethno-communal violence instead of seeking any quick solution, official sources said on Tuesday.

Orissa’s suggestion came after the high-level central team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, which visited Kandhamal today, sought to know what assistance was needed in mitigating the problems there.

"The Centre wants to support Orissa in building confidence among all sections of the people in Kandhamal," Pawar told reporters after the team arrived here yesterday.

Identifying backwardness in education, lack of connectivity and poor livelihood means as the cause behind the ethno-communal violence in Kandhamal, Orissa government asked the Centre to set up a campus of the National Tribal University, Amarkantak at Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

"As scheduled tribes constitute 52 per cent of Kandhamal’s population, it is proposed to have one Ekalavya model residential school (EMRS) in each block to cater to the needs of tribal children," a report sbubmitted to the central team by the state government said.

This apart, the state government also asked for at least six schedule caste hostels to cater the children of SCs who comprise 17 per cent of the total population in the district .

Stating that connectivity was the main obstacle for the administration proper deployment of security force, it said NH 217 which passed through Kandhamal need to be double laned.

I believe that for Orissa to develop several urban centers and clusters need to be developed. So far many are developing. The ones marked with red are either developed or are in the path of development. The one in purple (Keonjhar) has a good chance of development. The three green ones in the big green zone, denoting Bhwanipatna, Balangir and Phulbani are in need of development. The following table lists what these various urban areas and clusters have or are going to have and what they don’t have and the govt. should make efforts to fulfill those lacunae.

As noted above, all these places should have a university, a medical college, good rail connectivity and several job centers.

Following are excerpts from a report in livemint.com. (The article seems to be written from the point of view of miners. Nevertheless, if mining activities can help build infrastructure in this area then it may be worth looking. As always, a big worry is the potential impact of mining activities on the environment.)

… Experts say the soil beneath the farming fields in Kandhamal is mineral-rich. The state government has received several applications for mining leases over the last 18 months—potentially leading to investment, jobs and infrastructure—but red tape has stymied progress.

“There is bauxite, graphite, iron ore, gold and coal in Kandhamal,” says G.C. Prusty, senior surveyor at the local mining and steel office in the district. “But nothing is happening. Company representatives keep coming here and ask me about the status of their application. I just tell them to wait for the state government’s approval. I am also waiting.”

… Panda speculates that now the state is so busy pursuing big mines of lucrative minerals such as coal, iron ore and chromite in the more obvious districts of Rayagada and Jajpur that it does not have the bandwidth or the will to explore smaller deposits in areas such as Kandhamal.

… But more than ever before, clearing these small leases, so that new jobs can be created in Kandhamal, has become critical, amid the simmering Kandha-Pano conflict. Security experts believe that if this conflict is left unresolved, the district with its thick jungles and disaffected people is likely to become a haven for Maoist guerillas.

“If their economic problems are left unheeded, then these people are likely to become sympathizers of the Maoists,” says A.N. Sinha, deputy commissioner of police in Cuttack, who has served three years in Gajapati, a district of Orissa that borders southern Kandhamal. Maoists are active in Gajapati.

… And if policy improves, investors say they will come to this district, despite the recent conflict. “Conflict will not keep mining companies out. I would certainly be interested in going there,” says Panda of Imfa.

…

“We generate employment. We employ locals at our mines in Jajpur and Rayagada; we employ them for dispatches, bringing in equipment. Then there is a multiplier effect. Other jobs come up with a mine,” Panda says.

To win over locals, companies also undertake social projects; Imfa reports spending 2% of its net profit (approximately Rs412 crore every year) to set up health and veterinary camps and to build hospitals and schools in Orissa.

Locals, too, say they would welcome the mining companies. Asthik Digal, a Pano who is a stone-breaker and migrates to earn daily wages of Rs200, says he would rather work in a place close to his family. “If I get a job here, why will I go so far from my wife and children? I will stay here and work in a mine,” he says.

But right now, the idea of industries, schools and hospitals in Kandhamal seems like a distant dream, says Prusty.

He may be right. Because even though there is a lot of investment coming into the state—Orissa has signed about 50 preliminary agreements worth about Rs1.98 trillion to set up steel plants—the government’s mining policy is deficient, by many accounts.

To begin with, the state has not updated its mineral map (map of all the resources in the state) in 30 years.

…

“We have no idea of what resources we have or if the ones we do have are mature enough to sustain such large-scale exploitation,” says Shantanu Mohapatra, former director of mines in Orissa. Panda agrees. “So far, we have looked only for the most obvious minerals such as iron ore and bauxite in the most obvious places. Places such as Kandhamal have not been investigated closely.”

When winds changed and mining became lucrative, companies seized the opportunity and forced the state to play catch-up.

The government’s inability to reshape its mining policy has prevented it from earning revenue and also hampered jobs from being created in Kandhamal, where both Kandhas and Panos could have benefited from the rising global demand for the minerals lying beneath their lands.

… Observers say that if the government had acted in time and channelled investment here, maybe the conflict, which is essentially an economic battle between two of India’s most deprived groups, would have been avoided.

They say a long-term economic plan is essential to stop the violence in Kandhamal. That won’t start, residents say, until the government allows them to mine the benefits of their mineral wealth.

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 FAX: PMO at 23016857 , 23015603 (Delhi STD code is 11), CMO at 674 2590 833 (home) 674 2535 100 (office) and Planning Commission at 23096699

To:

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister of India

Cc: Mr. Naveen Patniak, Chief Minister of Orissa

Cc: Shri Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, Governor of Orissa

 
Subject: Solving the greater Kandhamala problem – going after the root cause in a war footing

Dear Dr. Singh: 

While the civil society in Orissa, the nation and the world is disturbed by the  communal violence in Kandhamala, I would urge you to take steps to eradicate the root cause of the violence in Kandhamala and the nearby tribal, hilly, forested, awfully connected, poor and backward districts of Orissa (and its neighboring states). In this regard, please note that the violence did not spread to the major towns and cities of Orissa (such as Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Balasore etc.)  that are well connected (by Rail and roads), decently developed and have a civil society. 

While the violence involving the murder of Swami Laxmanananda on August 23^rd 2008 and the subsequent communal violence that has taken about 40 lives is most deplorable and is in the forefront of the media, please also recall the following events that also took place within the last year in these areas:

1. February 15 2008:  400 to 500 armed Naxals raided the Nayagarh armory and killed 15 people including 13 policemen.
2. June 29 2008: 30 elite anti-insurgency policemen were killed by Maoists near Malkangiri.
3. July 16 2008:  21 Orissa policemen were killed in a land mine explosion and firing by the ultras in Malkangiri.
4. Dec 27 2007: Eleven churches were ransacked and torched in several areas of Kandhamal district.

Please note that these events happened in places in Orissa (Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Kandhamal) that are badly connected, near or within forests, have a large tribal population, and are among the most backward districts of India. The following map shows these districts are surrounded by large tracts of dense and open forested areas, and partly explains why the naxalites and Maoists are able to make them their base and why it has been difficult to deploy adequate police there in a timely manner.

Sir: As an economist and a world leader you must know that lack of connectivity, lack of development, lack of a civil society, entrenched forest and mountainous areas together with a different population base is a recipe for the sprouting of troubled areas. This is true all across the world; from J& K and North eastern areas of India to caucuses in Asia. While one cannot and should not get rid of the mountains or the people, the problem can be solved by making the areas well connected and bringing development. The Indian government is doing that in J & K and in the northeast; but has mostly forgotten about the similar areas in Orissa, Chhatisgrah, and Andhra Pradesh, which are the favorite bases of the Naxals and Maoists.

Sir: We would like you to pay the same attention to these areas in terms of connectivity, development, and creation of civil societies, as you do to the North east and J & K. In particular we would request that following be done in a war footing during the 11^th plan.

(i)                  The Vijaywada-Ranchi highway that passes through many of these areas be completed.

(ii)                Broadband connectivity be brought to these districts with adequate access locations.

(iii)                Two Railway lines, parts of which have already been sanctioned by the Railways but are progressing slowly, are completed and made operational. Those lines are:

a.       Khurda Rd – Balangir (passes through Nayagarh and Boudh) – This line was sanctioned in 1994-95 is progressing very slowly.

b.      Bhadrachalam Rd (Andhra Pradesh) – Malkangiri – Jeypore – Nabarangpur – Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd – passing through Kandhamala – Boudh – Angul – Talcher – Bimlagarh: Several segments of these lines are approved but progressing slowly. Those segments are Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd and Talcher – Bimlagarh. Angul – Talcher is operational.

(iv)              With the above lines operational, development should be brought into Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati, and KBK districts (including Kalahandi and Malkangiri) through 1-2 Rail factories and public sector units that can use the steel and aluminum and power produced in abundance in Orissa.

(v)                Orissa govt. should be encouraged and aided to establish a university in Kandhamala and another in Kalahandi.

(vi)              A branch of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University be established in one of these districts.

(vii)             Orissa govt. should be encouraged and aided to establish a government medical college and nursing college in Kandhamala or Boudha district.

Sir:  In regards to the cost of establishing the Railway lines, please note that as per the calculation in  http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/ Indian Railways is scheduled to make a profit of 2679.72 crores/year from its operations in Orissa. If 1500 crores of this money (the rest may go to Indian Railway’s current plans for Orissa) is put into Orissa, in just 2-3 years the above mentioned lines could be completed.

Sir: We sincerely hope that you will translate the great concern you have shown towards the recent violent events to the above mentioned action items that address the key issues of lack of connectivity and development in these areas and thus provide a long term and real solution.

Sincerely

Appendix:

1. Estimated profit Indian Railways will make from Orissa in 2008-09:

2.  One of the earlier planning commissions has noted in http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_orissa/sdr_orich2.doc

“Railways have always played an important role in economic development and rapid social transformation in all parts of the globe. It is one of the key economic infrastructures. However, it is most unfortunate that in a poor and backward state like Orissa, development of rail networks has received much less attention of the Central Government in the post-independence period. There are as many as seven districts like Boudh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur out of the 30 districts of the state, which do not have any railway line passing through them. In the year 1998-99, the density of railway route length per 1000 sq. km of area in Orissa was only 15.03 km as against 42.66 km in West Bengal and 19.11 km. at all-India level”.

3. The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows:  Malkangiri  58.36% ST  (+19.96% SC),  Rayagada 56.04% ST  (+14.28% SC),  Nabarangpur 55.27% ST (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% ST (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95%  ST(+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% ST (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% ST (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% ST (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% ST (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88%  ST(+8.77% SC). 

4. The literacy rates in the KBK districts are abysmally low. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.

5. Population below the poverty line in southern Orissa (of which KBK is a part) is reported to be 89.17% of the people according to the 1999-2000 NSS data and 72% of the families according to the 1997 census.

Following is the news report on the discussion (almost a confrontation) with the Railway Board Chair, as reported in India Abroad.

The basic premise behind our grievances against Indian Railways and our demands is simple.

• Indian railways is scheduled to make 2500-3000 crores/year from Orissa, but spends only 1000 crores/year on Orissa in terms of new lines, doubling and gauge conversion.
• Its current plan for major spending includes freight corridors, metro rails, and high speed rails, none of which touch Orissa. It plans to do gauge conversion of 12000 kms, most of which is unprofitable (this proves that Indian Railway lies when it says it only does profitable lines), very little (less than 100 km) of which is in Orissa.
• Orissa is already behind the national average in terms of rail density and way behind its neighbors such as West Bengal and Bihar. If no changes are made to the 11th plan IR allocations Orissa will further fall behind.
• Indian Railways must not take money from its profit in Orissa, and spend it else where, until it takes care of proper connectivity to Orissa’s tribal, backward and maoist infested areas. The 2500-3000 times 5 = 12,500 -15,000 crore that Indian Railways will profit from Orissa during the 11th plan must be spend in new lines in Orissa until the (i)-(v) lines below and other port and mine connectivity lines are completed during the 11th plan.
• To Mr. Jena’s retort that Mumbai earns so much in taxes and not all of it is spent in Mumbai; we reply that it is often acceptable to take from rich and give to poor; But when did it become acceptable to take from poor (Orissa) and give to rich (freight corridors etc. in other states)?

The lines in Orissa connecting to the tribal and backward areas that we demand to be finished during the 11th plan are:

• (i) Khurda Rd - Nayagarh - Balangir: Lack of connectivity was one of the reasons a recent Maoist mayhem happened in Nayagarh. It seems after recent events, including the confrontation with the Railway Board Chair and various dharanas in Bhubaneswar, IR has started responding to this demand, but not to the extent to promise its completion during the 11th plan. Note that Balangir is the B in the KBK districts that are the most backward in India.
• (ii) Lanjigarh Rd - Junagarh - Nabarangpur - Jeypore - Malkangiri - Bhadrachalam Rd in Andhra Pradesh: Only small part of this is approved. Most of it is not even surveyed. In the long run this will really bring those parts of Orissa closer to the rest of Orissa. This is the most important connection and has to be take care of at the earliest. Like the approved Vijaywada-Ranchi highway, this line will create an alternative Hyderabad - Ranchi path passing through backward and tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand. This line will connect the Kalahandi and Koraput districts, the two K’s in KBK. The recent Maoist attack and killing of the Greyhound forces in Malkangiri might have been prevented if this line existed as then the forces would have used the train rather than being seating ducks taking a boat across a lake in Malkangiri.
• (iii a) Rayagada - Gopalpur: This has been surveyed and but work on it has not started. Note that Rayagada is part of the undivided Koraput district, one of the K’s of KBK. This line could come under port connectivity and will be a viable line connecting the industries near Rayagada with the upcoming port in Gopalpur.
• (iii b) Gunupur - Theruvali: This will add to the Naupada-Gunupur line and make it an economically viable line. (IR and Mr. Jena agree about its importance.) This line will be completely inside the Raygada district, part of the undivided Koraput district, one of the K’s of KBK.
• (iv) Talcher - Bimlagarh (connectivity to the tribal district of Sundergarh): This line has been approved but is only being given a few crores each year, which is less than the inflation. This line will reduce the distance between Sundergarh district and teh coastal areas significantly. For example, it will make Rourkela only 4-5 hrs from Bhubaneswar.
• (v) Baripada/Buramara - Chakulia: This line will connect the tribal district of Mayurbhanj to tribal areas of Jharkhand. It will add to the Rupsa-Baripada-Bangiriposi line and make it an economically viable line. (IR and Mr. Jena agree about its importance.)

All these lines can be completed if Indian railways just suspends its practice of taking from poor (Orissa) and giving to the rich for only a few years (may be just 3-4 years). The following maps show the above mentioned lines.

Following is excerpted from a report in Pragativadi.

According to a preliminary estimation made by the Directorate of Geology, nearly 8 million tonnes (MT) of bauxite was reserved at Ushabali plateau in Kandhmal district. Estimation regarding bauxite reserve in Kandhamal district is preliminary. The volume of reserve could be more, an official said, adding survey work would be extended to nearby areas this year.

The Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) recently reviewed the mineral survey activities taken up the Directorate of Geology to find new reserve, particularly iron ore, which was in demand as the state had signed MoU for setting up of at least 46 steel plants.

The Directorate had completed survey of Hirapur area in Nabarangpur district for iron ore deposits and had also undertaken fresh surveys in Joda, Badbil in Keonjhar and Daitari in Jajpur.

Though the directorate had completed iron ore survey work by using drilling method at Tensa area of Sundargarh district, the findings were under study, sources said.

Similarly, the survey had also concluded that small diamond reserve could be traced at Dharamabandha and Nangalbod area of Nuapada district where the precious metal was found along with stones.

The following list is from www.orissatourism.gov.in/new/Identified_Tourist_Centre_of_Orissa_261207.pdf.

This has been reported in Tathya.in, Kalinga Times, and Odisha.in so far. Odisha. in has the two letters.

• Letter to the PM
• Letter to the CM

We appeal to the readers with interest in Orissa to contact their local organization (Outside Orissa, the local Orissa/Oriya/Kalinga organization) and through them send a similar letter to the PM and CM at the earliest. The planning commission has been asked by the PM on September 14th to make the location decisions in two months. So time is running out on this.

Following is an article and a photo from Dharitri on this.

Following is a big excerpt from Pioneer on this. (The detailed route and the various proposed stations can be found in this map.)

The inordinate delay in the construction of the Khurda - Balangir railway line has triggered severe public resentment, with people blaming the Centre for, deliberately, deferring the project.

Paucity of funds and delay in land acquisition are said to be the main factors that mar the speedy implementation of the project.

The 339 km long Khurda - Balangir railway line was sanctioned in 1994-95 and had raised the hopes of the people living in this perennially backward and neglected district. The line, which was supposed to run through Nayagarh, Phulbani, Boudh and Sonepur was expected to provide an impetus to the growth of the district.

The estimated cost of the project was Rs 354 crore initially but now the cost has escalated to Rs700 crore. As many as 17 railway stations, 441 bridges, 11 tunnels and 126 level-crossings were to be constructed as part of the project.

The Railway Ministry made a budgetary allocation of Rs15.38 crore in 2004-05 for the project and has this year earmarked Rs 10 crore, following which work on a 22-km stretch from Khurda was undertaken.

But no public representative of the area is happy with the pace of the project. Phulbani MP Sugriba Singh had also raised the issue in the Parliament sometime ago. Singh had also written a letter to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, alleging that even one-tenth of the project’s total budget had not been released so far.

The following ad in Samaja gives highlights of two recently launched schemes in agriculture:

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
  • The 15 districts in Orissa covered under the NFSM-Rice scheme (as given in page 40 of the above document) are Angul, Balangir, Boudha, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Nawapara, Nawarangpur, Nayagarh, Phulbani, and Sundargarh.
  • The 10 districts in Orissa covered under the NFSM-Pulse scheme (as given in page 43 of the above document) are Balangir, Baragarh, Cuttack, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Khurda, Nayagarh, Puri, Rayagada.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY)

Orissa government has announced higher salaries for doctors who are willing to go to hinterlands, especially the KBK region. Various news papers report on this. Following is an excerpt from Statesman.

… the state government today went on an overdrive announcing a revised incentive package for doctors working in KBK region and also enhancing the pay package to retired doctors who have availed contractual appointments in the same region.

Contractual appointments were given to the retired doctors/private doctors/fresh medical graduates at a consolidated remuneration of Rs.10,000/- per month in Non-KBK and Rs.12,000/- per month in KBK districts.

These appointments are given against the vacant posts of Asst. Surgeons only at periphery hospitals in the state. The government today decide that contractual doctors posted against vacant posts of Asst. Surgeons in the KBK districts and in the districts of Boudh, Kandhamal & Gajapati will henceforth get Rs.18,000/- per month.

The remuneration of doctors posted against the vacant posts of Assistant Surgeons on contractual basis in Non-KBK districts has been hiked to Rs.12,000/- per month.

Remuneration of retired doctors/private doctors having Post Graduate qualification to be appointed on contract basis against the vacant posts of Specialists at District Headquarter Hospitals & Sub Divisional Hospitals in KBK & Boudh, Kandhamal & Gajapati districts will be Rs.20,000/- per month.

The retired/private doctors having P.G. qualification appointed against the vacant posts of Specialists in the periphery hospitals in KBK region will get Rs.25,000/- per month while those in the same category but posted in non-KBK districts will get Rs.15,000/- pm.

… the government also announced several incentives to regular government doctors posted in KBK districts.

It enhanced the existing financial incentives to various levels of doctors which include regular Asst. Surgeons and Specialists of all categories (Class-II, Jr. Class-I and Sr. Class-I) and Medical Officers holding administrative posts (Jr. Class-I and Sr. Class-I) working in Koraput, Malkangiri, Nowrangpur, Rayagada, Bolangir, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts.

Assistant Surgeons & Specialists of all categories (Class-II, Jr. Class-I and Sr. Class-I) and Medical Officers holding the administrative posts (Jr. Class-I and Sr. Class-I) working at the District Headquarter Hospitals/Sub-Divisional Hospitals of Koraput, Malkangiri, Nowrangpur, Rayagada, Bolangir, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Boudh, Kandhamal & Gajapati districts are granted an additional incentives of Rs.4,000/- (Rupees four thousand) per month.

For the same category working in peripheral hospitals of these districts, the revised incentive was Rs 8000 pm.

The incentive will however not be admissible if the doctor is absent for more than four days or avail of any leave other than casual leave.

All the incentives are for a period of one year …

Following are excerpts from a Pioneer report by Pradipta Mishra.

Orissa is a real treasure hunt for nature lovers and off-beat tourists. ..

One such hidden spot is Grangu Kuti or Ganga Kuti in tribals-dominated Kandhamal district. Thirteen km from Raikia, a small town above Kalinga Ghat in Kandhamal district, Grangu Kuti is about 260 km from Bhubaneswar. Along the way one comes across beautiful tribal villages and dense forests along with ancient townships like Bhanjanagar, famous for its enchanting lake, and Ghumusar Udayagiri. A drive to Grangu Kuti is like a good appetiser before a lavish lunch.

In local Kui language, Grangu means dangerous and Kuti connotes gorge. Wordsworth, however, would have called it a heavenly gorge. Such is the beauty of the place that it would turn a hardcore criminal a poet!

Grangu Kuti is a deep gorge surrounded by cloud-capped tall and densely-forested mountains. Local tourists and picnickers go down to the bottom of the gorge to listen to the breathing of nature goddess. Sound of the waterfall nearby and that of the small fountain flowing close to your leg with its crystal clear water is a lifetime experience.

The gorge is about one and a half km long and its width nearly one km. One can go either side of it and go deep as well. The whole area is a lavish feast to one’s eyes. But for one’s belly, he has to travel three km, even for a packet of biscuits. Lunch is 13 km away at Raikia. And accommodation! Forget about a hotel; the only nearest place to stay is a PWD