Jharsuguda per capita highest at Rs 49,021, N’rangpur’s lowest at Rs 14,700

The Kendrapada district stands fourth from the bottom in the district-wise per capita income list of the State.

According to the Economic Survey 2013-14 reports, Nabarangpur remains on the bottom of the list while Malkanagiri and Nayagarh come in the 2nd and 3rd position.

The annual per capita income in Kendrapada, which has no big industries, is only Rs 17,285 whereas the Nabarangapur district’s per capita income is Rs 14,700. Similarly, Rs 15,688 and Rs 16,322 are the annual per capita income of people of Malkanagiri and Nayagarh districts, respectively.

The report says people of Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur districts, the two neighbouring districts of Kendrapada, have per capita income of Rs 24,568 and Rs 21,590 respectively.

According to the survey, Jharsuguda tops the list with Rs 49,021 as per capita income followed by Kandhamal district (Rs 40,729) and Angul (Rs 37,569).

Similarly, some of other districts, which have no big industries, are also ahead of Kendrapada in terms of per capita income. They are Boudh (Rs 21,698), Gajapati (Rs 21,772) and Deogarh (Rs 19,498).

According to a report, the monthly average expense amount of a person residing in rural India is Rs 1287.17. Haryana tops in this category with monthly expense of Rs 1925.97. Kendrapara district’s a person’s earning is limited to a sum of Rs 1440.42 per month.

According to experts, the number of unemployed youths is increased due to lack of facilities in agriculture sector. This has caused tardy economic growth in the distrct. The State Government has also not taken steps to provide alternative employment opportunities to the unemployed youths while the district lacks industry and mines.

On the other hand, corruption rules the roost in the poverty alleviation schemes in the district. The real beneficiaries have failed to enroll their names, thanks to the unholy nexus of the fake beneficiaries and corrupt Government officials.

Other reasons of the district’s underdevelopment are lack of development in education and health sector. People of the district are being forced to go outside to get quality treatment and technical education, spending lot of money and becoming economically weak, experts viewed.