Dantewada district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh has been a part of the national news one more time. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was surprised to see the zeal for cricket in a polio-affected child, Maddaram, from one of the most backward regions of India. He shared the video of him and captioned it as: “Begin 2020 with this inspiring video.”
Once plagued by Naxal violence, today, Dantewada is touching new heights as there have been a drastic drop in Naxal incidents, decline in the number of malnutrition kids, women are defying the old age superstitions by joining the unconventional enterprise like production of sanitary napkins and the farmers have themselves become a brand in terms of organic products.
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel said, “If we don’t provide plough in the hands, they will hold the gun. This is the only way to eliminate Naxalism. He emphasised on the need of eliminating problems like malnutrition and malaria because they are more dangerous than Naxalism.”
The district has been selected for the pilot project for the campaign to eradicate poverty from backward areas of Chhattisgarh. The campaign, Poonah Dantewada Madhakal, which means, “we will build a new Dantewada.”
The poverty percentage in the district is 70, which is way higher than the national average of 22 per cent. The Chhattisgarh government has kept a goal of liberating this district from the category of the most backward districts of the country and raise it as a developed one in the coming time. The new action plan prioritises the allocation of right prices and adequate income for the forest produce. This year, 22 minor forest produce will be purchased at minimum support price by the government. Due to this system of procurement, now a reasonable rate of forest produce will be obtained for `30 crore.
The processing hub is being established at Balod Gram Panchayat with a budget of `100 crore, which is estimated to provide income to 5,000 families. The annual income of `25,000 is estimated to be received by these activities.
Within the district, 9,534 people have the forest rights patented. It is being ensured that the fields of these people are being developed for the production of spices, kosa, drumsticks, coffee and vegetables. With this, each family is expected to generate an annual income of `30,000.
Arrangements are being made for the compilation of the ‘Biodiversity Register’, in which young men and women, who have passed 10th from 143 gram panchayats will be provided with a training of three months at district level and a sum of `6,500 per month. Almost 387 farmers generate an income of `40,000 per annum via vegetable and fruit cultivation. Women self help groups are producing dry mango powder and pickles. Fifty families are receiving an annual income of `30,000 with two dairy. Four more units of dairy are under process.
According to the district’s 2002 statistics, they are approximately 20,857 women employed in self help groups. Approximately, 262 self-help groups provide warm food for malnourished women and children as a part of the Suposhan Abhiyan. Eight women self-help groups generate an income of `11,93,000 by production of sanitary napkins.
This is just the beginning. Like Maddaram, Dantewada is also working with passion and zeal to rise up and build its future ahead.
(The author, Taran Prakash Sinha, is the IAS Commissioner.)