It is not true that the State of Odisha is not developing, but the fact is when there is a comparison with other States, its position remains in the bottom of many social and economic indicators because of its slow growth.
Odisha is not featured among top ten developed States of India. Internationally, its IMR and MMR are just equal to the condition of Ethiopia and sub Saharan Africa. There has been continued huge regional imbalances within the State and persistent inequality in socio-economic status among different ethnic and social groups.
The poor economic condition of a majority of rural people of the State is marked with poor standard of living, low wage rate and distress migration of both seasonal and long term in nature. The State remains a predominantly traditional agricultural economy without visible development of industrial and service sector.
In the process of slow growth of industrial and manufacturing based employment, rural youth prefer to migrate to industrially advance States and metropolis in search of employment as a better option for their future. The trend of migration has been increasing in recent times due to frequent visit of natural calamities that affects the agricultural economy more. The State has failed to utilise its human resources. It is not emerging as an attractive economic destination; rather it is seen as a labour supplier State. May be few Odias are better placed in national and international level but that has not been able to change the overall image of the State.
The State has failed in many ways to use the advantage of globalisation and liberalisation policy of the Government of India since the 90s. Specially its failure in mobilising private and public investment in non-mineral sector in spite of its potentialities is a major drawback.
There has been no visible change in the coastal areas of the State. It has not done much in case of primary health and education, communication, transport, coastal development, agro-based industry, tourism, banking, insurance, manufacturing and garment sector. Not a single national manufacturing hub is promoted in the State. Rapid industrialisation can change both material and social condition of the people of Odisha.
The Government must take steps to address our many forms of inequality in social life, specially inequality in status and opportunity, income and assets by building a level playing field.
Inequality can be addressed by improving production and growth of all sectors of the economy and not just banking on traditional agriculture.
Social justice ideas in our constitution must be reflected in our changing economic systems in order to remove economic and social inequalities and to ensure a decent standard of living of working people.
Unfortunately during the last 72 years inequality remains an issue of concern. There are a host of schemes for slums and hamlets but they have failed to ensure wellbeing of the people by reducing poverty. The political parties in the State fighting elections have no development agenda before the people for the whole State; rather they are routinely giving freebies to get vote. These days, ruling parties are engaged in bribing people with liquor, feast and cash to woo voters.
In a modern constitutional State with multiparty democracy, it is the duty of political parties to drive the people towards building a developed society but unfortunately the ruling parties are not serious about the condition of economy. They are more interested to continue in power by managing voters.
Many of our historically unresolved social issues such as caste, gender and ethnic based discrimination are closely linked to feudal agrarian economic system. The landless labourers, sharecroppers, small and marginal farmers have no future in the ongoing agrarian economy of Odisha. For last 70 years, the State has not initiated any agrarian reform to change the feudal mode of production relation as it is found that still the real tillers have no land to cultivate and are deprived of all kinds of State protection.
The overpopulated people in agrarian sector must move to other sectors of economy and the modernisation of agriculture must happen to develop new generation of farmers by using the best available technology.