In the national scenario, Odisha is now the first as the poorest State. And yet, the State’s rulers claim that our growth rate has been at par with or higher than the national average and, therefore, the people of Odisha have not become poorer.
This looks apparently paradoxical and even incongruous. When a bewildered Odia delves into the details with a discerning eye, he finds that there has been intense concentration of wealth in the hands of a fortunate few and there is a total subversion of distributive justice in its true sense. Some who were already rich are now the richest and the poor are now totally impoverished. It is well-known that the residents of Odisha living in the western and southern parts of the State are driven to be migrant labourers out of economic compulsions. Their economic condition has steadily worsened instead of undergoing any ameliorative improvement.
The wanton illegal exploitation of the mineral resources of the State has dominantly contributed to this malady and, unfortunately, we are now heading towards an un-retrievable vicious circle, which would render Odisha into a willing “plundered State”.
It is now common knowledge and is also affirmed by the Hon’ble Justice Sah Commission that a set of individuals or companies or legal entities continued to enjoy unregulated, unhindered and wanton exploitation of the mineral resources. Rule 24A(6) of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 was pressed into service by a collaborating consortium of the miners, the Government and the regulatory authorities to permit illegal overexploitation of the mineral resources of the State (beyond permissible limits in unauthorised ways) in utter disregard of most of the other regulatory laws relating to the forest, environment, etc.
This scenario is indicative of a cancerous growth in the administration of mineral resources of the State. A handful of dishonest, colluding and manipulative mine owners held the State to ransom to the knowledge and collusion of the State’s ruling apparatus. The details of this, apart from being exposed in the Hon’ble High Court of Odisha and in the Supreme Court of India, have also been more than exposed in the detailed report (of five volumes) of the Hon’ble Justice MB Sah Commission. All this happened in the last two decades and there have been no effective and meaningful administrative measures to remedy and rectify the situation. It is, therefore, reasonable and rational to infer that the Government of Odisha wants to perpetrate the “deemed” mining racket.
Another matter that is of great concern for the State is that the area under cultivation has been rapidly shrinking. Fertile agricultural lands have been acquired in the name of industrial infrastructure and, that too, in many cases in colourable exercise of the colonial concept of “eminent domain”. Most of the bananas, banana leaves, lemon, chilies, vegetables, eggs and fish do not come to the market from sources in Odisha but from Andhra Pradesh. The ceiling limits of the land Reforms Act do not apply to “plantation”. Our land Reforms Act, however, still continues to define “plantation” limiting it to coffee, tea, cocoa and rubber, all being almost irrelevant to Odisha. This must be aiding the cause of some vested interests, for otherwise, it would have attracted the attention of our leaders, legislators and the bureaucracy for taking remedial measures. Cocoanut, plantain, banana, cashew nut, mango, floriculture and many other local cash crops are conveniently ignored. Irrigation facilities have continued to be stagnant. These illustrative causes have prevented an enhanced investment in agriculture, horticulture, food processing and other allied industries. Despite a vast coastline at our command, we continue to have increased import of fish from Andhra Pradesh.
We, as a people, have, of necessity, to wake up to this dismal situation and not to be misled by the motivated propaganda dished out by vested interest lobby. But for this, the hitherto acknowledged poorest State will go further poorer and poorer and that shall not be to the credit of our leaders and a longstanding stable Government.
Nonrenewable natural resources like minerals, forests and water, etc., have been the attraction of the hitherto flocking investors ceremonially signing MoUs for obvious reasons of fostering and advancing their own interests. Unfortunately for Odisha, the Government by itself never identified norms and priorities of a balanced and sustainable growth.
Our brethren, uprooted from their habitats and livelihoods by reckless acquisition of fertile agricultural land for industrial units as per their “demand”, are yet to be rehabilitated in a suitable manner. The pittance of compensation they received is already depleted for sheer subsistence and survival. Alongside, a limited coterie has enriched itself to a stinking extent. The prevalent and increasing social unrest is the cruel gift we are giving to ourselves and, more dangerously, to the coming generations. We cannot wash away this sin through glossy colourful advertisements and, that too, at our own cost.
As we continue to be told that Odisha is already a progressive, advanced and rich State and, at the same time, we are undisputedly branded as the “poorest”, the average and common-man Odia stands bewildered. Presently, Odisha confronts a crucial moment in history to assert, redeem and push itself forward in the national scenario and make the sun rise in this area of darkness. Odisha stands now at the crossroads devoid of a meaningful and purposive direction.
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat and a former Odisha Advocate General. jayantdas@hotmail.com)