CM’s dignity at cost of women’s modesty
An obnoxious incident occurred in CM Naveen Patnaik’s Mangaspur rally in Sundargarh district on December 4 when police snatched women participants’ black aprons at the entrance of a public meeting. Most of the women obliged out of police fear but some of them who protested were badly treated by the police. The incident boomeranged for the ruling BJD but was enough to provoke members of the legislative Assembly who took serious note of it and reacted sharply. The CM’s office also quickly reacted through Home Secretary Asit Tripathy who said the CM being unhappy over the incident has asked DGP KB Singh to inquire into the matter. Such incidents should not be repeated in future, the CM is believed to have said. The DGP also talked to media in a similar line. According to the Opposition, it was no less than a case of outraging the modesty of women. The incident could have gone unnoticed had there not been the Panchayat elections ahead. But BJP and Congress were just waiting for such lapse to pounce upon and defame the ruling party especially in a matter concerning the women voters. No wonder, the women wing of BJP took to the streets condemning police actions. The Opposition even demanded resignation of the Chief Minister who heads the Home department. Junagarh MlA Capt Dibyasankar Mishra, a spokesperson of BJD, was seen defending the police action but found to be running clueless and gasping for words on the sensitive issue. A Congress spokesperson said the BJD has set up several commissions in the past without any positive results and hence, the latest one will be of least consequence.
CM’s rallies carefully crafted to suit BJD
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is on a whirlwind tour across the State under a well orchestrated strategy adopted to fight the forthcoming panchayat elections. He was on his scheduled visit to Sundargarh district, the second in the last fortnight with his party’s intention laid bare before the public. Carefully mixing his party programme with Government programme to manage and adjust the expenses like using helicopters etc, the CM is hoodwinking the general public and trying to build his image of a messiah for the poor. In Sundargarh constituency, he addressed his first rally at Mangaspur where he said his Government was for tribals and labourers. Women self help groups (SHGs) across the State will get Rs1,000 crore as loan at mere one per cent interest which is viewed as a classic case of using public money for private purpose. In yet another rally at Bimlagarh known for its proposed Talcher-Bimlagarh rail line, he kept mum about the project. Announced 13 years back, the project is progressing at a snail’s pace because the State Government is unable to complete the process of land acquisition besides converting the status of forest land into revenue land. People of Bonai went there to listen from the CM about the fate of the project as well as NAC status to Bonai, but returned empty-handed.
RMSA execution poor; schools in a shambles
Odisha has failed to implement the Central scheme, Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikshya Abhiyan (RMSA), launched in 2009 to strengthen infrastructure, employment of teachers and train them to raise their teaching standard in schools. Infrastructure building is left half way and the State is way behind in employment of teachers, electrification of schools, setting up libraries and sanitation facilities. Resultantly, the Government by the way have lost Central grant to the tune of Rs775 crore according to Comptroller and Auditor General R Ambavan who disclosed this at a Press meet recently. While the scheme has been formulated keeping the density of population in view and aimed at including all eligible students under RMSA, the State Government has not been able to develop the required infrastructure and failed miserably in implementation of the scheme. In a period of six years from 2009 to 2015, out of 1,535 schools sanctioned for Odisha, only 359 schools could be set up. The CAG during its inspection of 50 schools found vacancy of teachers in hundreds, besides the headmasters and non-teaching staff. Construction of schools remains incomplete without adequate toilet facility and electricity, let alone the introduction of vocational education. Observations of CAG are alarming; so also its non compliance.
Kutia Kondhs scheme funds too meagre
According to a report placed in the current session of State Assembly, nine districts account for as many as 2,387 unreachable villages. Out of this, Kalahandi has maximum 805 villages which are deprived of minimum amenities of life. These remote villages of the district are mostly inhabited by Kutia Kondhs who are yet to come to the mainstream of civilization. A scheme similar to the Paudi Bhuyans of Sundargarh district, named as ‘Kutia Kondhs Development Scheme’ launched 30 years back has failed to improve their living conditions. As such, 16 villages spanned over three panchayats of lanjigarh block, 217 villages in 24 Panchayats of Madanpur Rampur block and several villages of Jugsaipatna panchayat under the Sadar block of Bhawanipatna are deprived of road communication, health services and education. They don’t even get the much hyped subsidized rice supplied by the Government. The expenditure on this development scheme being a meagre Rs10.94 crore during the last 30 years, a fits and starts approach of the Government could only be the reasons of their owes. Surprisingly, the scheme doesn’t cover the entire community of the district as villages under Thuamul Rampur block, Mohangiri and Urladani villages under Madanpur Rampur block and villages of Yugsaipatna Panchayat under Bhawanipatna block have been kept out of the purview of the scheme. Public representatives never visit these villages once elections are over and as such, they are the most neglected lot destined to born and die unnoticed. Because of illiteracy, they even do not know who is responsible for the misery they are facing. Whether they will get the social justice they deserve is a million dollar question.