Anti-incumbency gaining ground
The Government of Odisha has floated around 30 public welfare schemes for people of various categories in the State. Number-wise the State is ahead of many other States in the country but in implementation of the schemes it is believed to be counted among the last few at the bottom. Floated in the name of people’s welfare, the beneficiaries have hardly benefitted from these schemes during the last 15 years.
Resultantly the ‘poorest State’ tag still remains with Odisha. While non implementation of the schemes in the grass root level is said to be the principal reasons, the district Collectors, especially the promotee IAS officers and politicians, are to be squarely blamed. The promotee IAS officers do not even understand the techno-economic parameters attached to the schemes as they are framed in the State Secretariat by the concerned Secretaries without involving these minnows. Similarly the politicians cannot fathom into the nitty-gritty of those schemes because of their varied background. As a result, the 4.50 crore odd people have been going through the worst phase of their lives in the last 15 years. Unemployment figure in the State has reached its peak though the Government claims to have spent Rs 135.35 crore on this account. During 2014-15, 10 lakh ‘pucca’ houses against the budgeted amount of Rs 1,730 crore were scheduled to be constructed but the year-end figure was limited to only two lakh. ‘Biju Pacca House’ and the ‘My Cottage’ schemes are contradictory to each other.
Out of 46,331 villages, the Government has reached only 7,210 villages to supply potable drinking water. Despite the Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana and Rajib Gandhi Rural Electrification schemes, many villages are without electricity. In child malnourishment, Odisha ranks 8th in the country and in women malnutrition, its position is fifth. The Government intermittently cry for more Central assistance to the State, but the Opposition says the Central funds to the tune of over Rs 46,000 crore during the last nine years have been refunded unspent.
Goondaism by God’s men
Humanitarian behavior from the priests of Jagannath Temple is a hazard to be expected rather than an ideal to be cherished. It was only when the Niladri Bije of lord Jagannath, lord Balaram and Devi Subhadra was being observed, the Daitapatis went berserk, misbehaved with the district Collector, including the police and the mediapersons when the worshippers protested the delay in of pahandi rituals after permitting a lady to climb the chariot of lord Balabhadra with an ulter or motive. When this was objected to by a cop present there, he was rebuked with filthy language with threat to his life. Mediapersons, were also hackled by them. District Collector of Puri Arvind Agarwal has filed an FIR and has written to the SP for taking stringent action. This episode at Puri is yet another slur on the priests and their demeanour. Arrests and suspensions apart, a commission of inquiry, of late, set up by the Government is a welcome move .From Amlapali to Nagada Years back, Phanas Punji from Kalahandi’s obscure village Amlapali had sold her sister-in-law Banita for Rs 40 to fill her hungry belly. Even in those days when cell phones were not in use, the story went viral not only across India but throughout the world. Incredible as it was, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi made spot visits to find out the truth. Rajiv Gandhi was taken on a boat to reach the village. The pathetic condition of the people of the area surrounding Amlapali was then compared to those living in Ethiopia, an African State. But today when children of Nagada village of Juanga tribe in Jajpur district suffer from acute malnourishment, more than 20 of them having died, there is hardly anybody ,not even a Minister of Dharmendra Pradhan or Jual Oram’s rank has visited the affected site and consoled the villagers. When the media exposed the sad story, it was shocking for the State Government which reacted sharply, formed a task force to look into their plights and suggest measures to overcome them. The task force will work under the tutelage of the concerned RDC. Roads, supply of drinking water, opening of a mini Anganwadi Centre and supply of nutritious food to children and women in pre and post delivery stage are some of the steps conjured up to diffuse the situation.
Communal harmony in Steel City
A simple comment on a particular religion on the social media (facebook) when becomes viral, situation like the one at Rourkela arises with a serious threat to social disorder. The incident disturbed the exemplary communal harmony of the steel town marred by the legacy of an infamous communal disturbance in 1964 where hundreds of innocent people were killed. The ugly incident on the return Car Festival day near hotel Chandralok in which a group of people staged a ‘Rasta Roko’ through which the celestial chariots were to pass was unfortunate but timely intervention by the police salvaged the situation. Though a sentimental issue for a particular religious faith, the unwarranted incident deserved suppression of all ill feelings and helps the police administration to take control over the situation. Challenging the law and order authorities during sensitive issues could have led to a no-holds-barred situation when flared up. That the 12-hour Rourkela Bandh call given by the Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal was a total success itself sends a strong signal to the unruly elements that all was not well in their action as for every action there is a reaction. Kudos to police administration of ourkela for the timely action!