Cry over ‘just’ genuine concerns
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should redress the genuine concerns of the State rather than crying wolf in the name of inadequate Central fund. The immediate concerns are unlawful construction of barrages in catchment areas upstream Mahanadi river and Centre’s selection of tourism circuits where Odisha does not find a place among the 21 States. On such concerns of the State, political parties should rise over their ideological differences and come out in open to exert pressures on the Centre. It is not known as to why the Government of Odisha stopped the technical squad to visit the barrages built on Mahanadi’s upstream and preferred a political delegation.
So far, it has been defensive in its approach. Does it not know that offence is the best defenceIJ Similarly in the selection of tourism circuit, Odisha has failed to get a place despite a plethora of temples and heritage sites par excellence spread across the State which can be compared to the best sites of the world. Instead of counting the Central grant in terms of money, it is time the Government concentrated on the all-round development of the State.
All the Parliament members of the State should develop at least one of their adopted villages as ideal and smart village in response to the Prime Minister’s call. It is a national agenda and political parties should decipher between party agenda and national agenda in the overall interest of the people they are supposed to serve.
Flurry of activity post G’maha, Nagada
Calamities and opportunities are two sides of a coin. Gumudumaha firing and Nagada children death caused by malnourishment are though a big slur on the Government, these incidents brought in its wake at least some development projects for those areas. Four senior officers in the rank of Secretaries recently held discussion to provide road and electricity to the affected Gumdumaha village of the Baliguda block within a week. Work will begin on a war footing as the incidents are a wakeup call for the Government which was in deep slumber till the shocking news of 5 deaths, including a child, in police firing.
Besides ensuring Rs 7 lakhs to the families of the deceased and a job to kin of each deceased as compensation, the Government, of late, has realized that problems concerning the basic needs of the villagers like construction of approach roads to hospitals, provision ofdrinking water and electricity have to be addressed. Not only that the 160 revenue villages under 153 panchayats of Kandhamal district will be provided electricity under the Dindayal Upadhyaya Grameen Jyoti Yojana by October next. Progress of work in model schools at Kotgarh, Tumudibandh, Daringbadi, Dandpadar and Kududuli was also reviewed and expeditious measures suggested by the Secretary concerned.
Sexual crime: Odisha among top 5 States
As per statistics, Odisha is among top 5 in sexual crimes along with Madya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Odisha has even surpassed Delhi when it comes to sexual crimes against minor girls. The State stands number 4 in the country in case of assaulting women with the intention to outrage their modesty. Odisha reported 797 rape cases of minor girls and over 5,853 outraging of modesty cases in 2015. A point of surprise in the statistics, though not yet revealed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), is one third of the perpetrators are juveniles who have made even adult females their victims.
While rape victims mostly belong to poorer strata of the society, assaulters go scot free as victims lack in the empowerment to avenge the criminals. Similarly, the children and pregnant ladies suffer from malnutrition. Such cases are surfacing one after the other following the Juanga dominated Nagada village episode in Jajpur district. In lahunipada block of Sundargarh district, the Paudi Bhuyan tribal community is facing similar health hazards. In Nabrangpur district, over three hundred children have died in last six months and in Keonjhar district, the plight of the tribals is no different. They are being asked to shift from their houses built on the hilltops.
RSP modernisation Vs HR mismanagement
Odisha has an interest in the Rourkela Steel Plant. Similarly, the interest of Rourkela Steel Plant is proportionately linked with that of the steel major SAIl. The plant in its 50 years history has gone for modernisation thrice. The first one in the late 60s was to increase its production capacity from 1 million ton to 1.8 million tons. Dastur and Company (now MECON) had given the DPR. The second modernisation was in the mid 90s mostly to stabilize the production at that level with a minor increase in its capacity. When the plant could not derive the listed benefits, a consultant company named MCKINSY was engaged and RSP started making profit from 2003 onwards. It is generally seen that huge amount is invested for modernization of steelplant and there is always the risk of time and cost overrun. The worry, however, doesn’t end there. On completion of each project, the company usually looks for a consultant who can help to tide over the post modernization bottlenecks. Production does not pick up immediately and achieving 100 per cent operating target takes time.
It passes through a gruelling stagnation period. But why at all will there be period of stabilisation before taking over the modernized units and operate at 100 per cent capacity utilization. The third modernization has been completed recently and again there is a requirement of a consultant company for which the search is on. If a consultant is always needed after completion of the projects, is it not wise to go for such a consultant right at the beginning for hand holding and steer through the obstaclesIJ And why should there be a failure in the Human Resource planning (HRM) front as it happened after completion of the last two phases of modernization. In the 90’s it was an excess of manpower and this time it’s a scarcity. Where lays the expertise of the HR peopleIJ Is it not a matter of concernIJ
(The writer , a former PR Manager of SAIl in Rourkela Steel Plant, a former Vice-Chairman of PRSI, Orissa Chapter, is a functional Editor of English weekly ‘Kosal Horizon, email:baidyanathmishra123@rediffmail.com,Cell : 94370 83025)