Economic liberalisation and globalisation have set a trend of privatization in the country with international capital by private corporates increasingly flowing to India. Many of the public sector units are in the process of disinvestment.
The advantage of mineral deposits, sea route and favourable administrative environment attracts private companies to Odisha. The Government of Odisha has signed MoU for setting up mineral based industries, steel, cement, alumina, power, auto ancillary, food processing, tourism, crude oil processing, titanium complex and downstream industrial parks in the State. The private sector has been largely patronised with sops of land, infrastructure facilities, subsidies, special tax holidays, mineral concession and all other administrative support with single widow system for quick and hassle free clearance. There has been relaxation in environmental clearance and business friendly labour legislations with protection for law and order by special dedicated paramilitary forces to protect industry and business.
The Government of Odisha has adopted the Odisha Industries Facilitation Act 2004 which has made provision of high level clearance authority under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister for investment of Rs 50 crore or more to issue required clearance within specified time limit. The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation is dedicated to infrastructure development for private business and companies with facilities of developing SEZ, acquiring land, communication, electricity and water and other requirements. The State has to manage the resources for the best use of its people without concentration of wealth and money power in the hands of a few in the name of business and industry which has wider ramification over the economy, social life and governance and ultimately on growth. The industrial policy of the Government gives priority to the districts having more number of SC and ST population and the very basic objectives of business and industry are to generate employment and income leading to growth. But it is unfortunate that the business and industry sector have very insignificant role in promoting the lot of the marginalised, poor, SCs and STs who constitute 40 per cent of the total population of the State.
It is a fact that for last 65 years, SCs and STs have been the worst sufferer of displacement due to mines and industry by way of losing habitation and livelihood. The land once demarcated for distribution among landless SCs and STs such as ceiling surplus land, Bhoodan land, waste land and other category of Government land has not been distributed to them; rather this category of land was given to business and industry houses. The forest and agriculture based livelihood of SCs and STs have been destroyed without developing alternative livelihood for them. The lopsided development resulted in growing resourcelessness among SCs and STs, besides distress migration, unemployment and chronic poverty.
The business, mines and industry have created jobless growth and whatever employment opportunity has been created, it is being monopolized by the upper class without having a fair share for the marginalized.
The 2011 census on household with salaried jobs says only 0.20 per cent of SC and 0.12 per cent of ST households in the State have salaried jobs in private sector. The private sector employment policy does not follow affirmative action to make the business and industry inclusive of all social groups specially SCs and STs who have very insignificant representation in private sector. The corporate boards of the country are largely owned, controlled and managed by upper castes without caste and gender diversity. The mining and industry sectors have very poorly employed SCs and STs. They got the most ordinary jobs such as contact labourers under private contractors. The labourers are very less paid and work without any social security benefits under hire and fire principles. There have been no labour legislations being followed for such workers.
SCs and STs are not visible in senior manager or middle management official level as technical and administrative or managerial staff due to lack of affirmative action in recruitment policy. There has been no promotional work by industry to promote SC and ST employability in the State through providing technical and higher education and skill development initiatives.
The corporate social responsibility policy for private sector business and industry lacks transparency and especially the provisions for SC and ST development are not being monitored to ensure the implementation of guideline. The periphery villages/mining huttings/slums in mining and industrial towns largely inhabited by poor SCs and STs are without basic minimum for facilities such as safe drinking water, healthcare, education, housing and quality food and environment. The condition of children and women is worst and deteriorating with increasing distress, mental and physical abuse and large vulnerability. The provisions for concern for human rights, care and protection, social development focusing education, health and nutrition, employment and environment, water, air and soil, have not been properly taken care up by the business and industrial houses who are mostly attending the requirements of ruling party representatives and local bureaucrats with vested interest. The mandatory obligations of the companies towards the local people and local environment have been overlooked by the monitoring authorities mostly Government officials and most of the monitoring committees are headed by the local people’s representatives. The earmarked fund for local social development is diverted for non-priority, unproductive activities outside the local area and very cunningly shown as developmental work.
The social development of the marginalized is sidelined as well as the involvement of SC and ST organizations and issues raised by people’s movements is deliberately undermined.
The private sector leaders ASOCHAM, FICCI, FIMI and CII are asked by Government to workout strategies for affirmative action. The Companies Act in 2013 with introduction of CSR has legalized private companies’ obligation to SCs and STs. The Government of India has introduced procurement policy in 2012 for SCs and STs and created a hub in the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise along with Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) to facilitate the involvement of SCs and STs in business. The provision says that four per cent of the order to be sourced from SCs and STs along with standup India scheme with `500 crore to promote SC and ST entrepreneurs, but without the active involvement of private sector it will not be effectively grounded. The procurement policy of industry has provisions of promoting SC and ST entrepreneurs by allowing them a minimum percentage of representation in business but this is not followed in letter and spirit.
The Government of Odisha should provide hand holding support to upcoming SC and ST entrepreneurs and the SCs and STs Development Finance Cooperative Corporation ltd should take a lead in this process to tap the available resources from Government sources for inclusion of SCs and STs in business and industry.
However, promoting negligible few SC and ST households by Government is not enough if the share of development will not reach to the poorest of poor. The private sector should voluntarily give space for employment participation and support them for promoting education and skill development.
Therefore it is highly required that the State Government should ensure implementation of affirmative action policy for private sector business and industry through legislation and make all necessary efforts for its application in the interest of the marginalized sections, specially SCs and STs in the State for inclusive growth.
(Email-manasbbsr15@gmail.com, Mob-09437060797)