Development and good governance, among other things, most necessarily cause increased opportunities of employment and income at the grass roots level. Several programmes are under implementation to ensure grassroots development at the rural level. The leading one among the programmes is the Employment Guarantee Scheme administered through legislation. There is obviously lack of any visible impact for the better at the base level of the rural economy, namely, the villages. Agriculture is still the dominant occupation and would continue to be so for quite some time. But facilities of development of agriculture making it remunerative as an “industry” have not come into existence in a pervasive manner. Fluctuation in the rainfall decides the fate of the farmers. The size of the holdings is uneconomic. Irrigation facilities are grossly lacking. There is also failure in implementation of several poverty alleviation programmes. These shortcomings have been causing poverty-stricken residents of Odisha to move out as migrant labourers not only to the neighbouring States but also to places as far as Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Gujarat.
As per reports, 65,000 labourers left Odisha for other States in the year 2015-16. This figure has risen to a whopping 1,50,000 in 2016-17. Recent reports have focused on Balangir and Nuapada districts. Government records indicate that about 35,250 labourers from western Odisha went to other States in 2016-17 in quest of work and below-subsistence-level existence. This figure was as low as around 13,200 in 2015-16. This is the scenario in Nuapada district. Nuapada by itself contributed a 7,600-workforce as migrant labourers in 2016-17. This figure was around 5,500 in 2015-16. In the coastal area, undivided Ganjam district contributes the most to the migrant workforce.
There is a sociological aspect, which is very often not taken note of. The people go as migrant labourers whether under legitimate labour contractors or under sham ones. It is alleged that there is no work available in the villages for half the year and survival becomes a problem with lack of employment and income opportunities. Able-bodied people migrate, literally like indentured labourers. Those left behind in the hamlets are the old, diseased or feminine folk. Interestingly, the number of labour contractors in these areas is systematically on the increase. For example, in Balangir district, in 2016-17, there were around 545 such contractors. This figure had stood at 170 in 2015-16. Similarly, in Nuapada, the number of labour contractors on record was around 70 in 2015-16 while the figure is 110 in 2016-17. These, of course, exclude unlicensed contractors, who operate clandestinely and probably more actively. This adds to the vicious socioeconomic circle in the agro-rural sector in the State. Several deaths due to the exploitative employment of this labour force are reported. According to the figures available in the National Crime Records Bureau, 342 complaints were registered in 2010. There was an increase in the number of complaints registered. Needless to say that there are several non-registered complaints where exploitation of labour has taken place in the cruellest of manners. In 2011, the complaints were at 3,515. In 2012, it rose to 3,544. In 2013, it further increased to 3,940. The year 2014 saw a leap jump to a figure of 5,456 complaints and in 2016, it further galloped to a figure of 6,887.
One should add to this scenario the fact that we are plagued with malaria, dengue, jaundice, swine flu and several other diseases, which play havoc in rural areas. Medical facilities at the grassroots level are fragile and weak. The economy itself is dependent on the vagaries of the rain god. Diseases become widespread and tend to become an epidemic. The surroundings lack sanitation and are a breeding ground of infectious diseases, quite often fatal in nature. When medicare is in a precarious state, spread of diseases becomes easier. Garbage disposal is still an unresolved problem adding to the filth and squalor. This is a problem, both in rural and urban areas. The Swachh Bharat movement is only going to deal with the issue marginally and gives greater importance to urban areas. We are at the “awareness” stage, and any programmatic organised action would require much more strategic efforts. In rural areas, Palli Sabhas could play a significant role in sanitation and rural resurgence.
Socioeconomic reasons have led to the manifestation of rampant malnutrition. The problem is not solved through migration looking for work. The overall scenario is one of malnutrition at home and the continuing lingering malnutrition at the new place of work. This aspect has not received sufficient attention except through some catchy-titled programmes. This malady has its inevitable impact on the overall health of individuals and the community. This problem also deserves special attention because mere quantitative subsistence without adequate qualitative nutrition harbours a breeding ground for several health problems. The health sector, as has already been noticed, is desperately demanding greater attention. The content of the improvement should be qualitative in nature including nutritional necessities. An edifice for a structure to ensure adequate provision of health and quality food facilities has to be built by restructuring of the existing programmes. The reform programmes ought to be purposive, meaningful, involving, inclusive and holistic. They have to be built from the grassroots and mere imposition from any centralised authorities would not have the necessary impact. This is demonstrated by the poor implementation of the existing programmes at the field level. Very often, they are reasonably well-intended and well-meaning, but their tardy implementation defeats and subverts their efficacy and their socio-politico-economic goal. Nagada is a disturbing and insulting example. Despite the initial hue and cry, there was hardly any significant improvement after the authorities had woken up to the first call with the first exposure. After a reasonably long lapse of time, the assessment shows no significant improvement. All the maladies continued to remain so. There is some attempt of demonstrating healthcare to be more active. Nutrition has almost been forgotten
All this is going to pave way for a better future and that “future” is of the present-day youth power, dominant in number and a force in our democratic setup. This youth power ought to devote its attention to improvement of the environment, economy and of the different facets of their own habitats. It is only when a micro-level activity starts and macro effects will inevitably be felt. But alas, the youths are not inspired to spring into action for a better future of theirs. The more experienced elders have no doubt their guiding role to play. But the need of the hour is catalyst action and, that too, immediately. This calls for a mass movement generating from the rural level branching out to the urban spheres. In this endeavour for a change for the better, all of us have a stake and have to involve ourselves as a socio-moral obligation. No doubt, this concerns all!
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor, a former President of Orissa High Court Bar Association and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)