Orissa Govt Blames Center For Negligence Whereas It Is Doing The Same With Western Orissa

Stop bashing Centre, start helping poor

By Sachi Satapathy

Courtesy:-Indian Express

Orissa has shown negative trends in most of the development parameters because of the poor execution track record of government schemes and mismanagement of funds over a period of time. One will be surprised to note the recent death toll, which has crossed more than 200 due to the spread of cholera in one of the poverty ridden districts of Orissa. Examining the implementation of development schemes in Orissa, one will invariably end up with serious doubts about the capability of the present government in reaching out to the poor in the true spirit. The recent report of the State Plan Advisers on implementation of flagship programmes and other centrally sponsored schemes in Orissa will provide a shocking picture of the execution of government schemes in the state.

According to the report, Orissa has failed to utilise almost half of the funds released by the end of 2009-10 financial year in the MEGRA. The government of Orissa could spend only Rs 312 crore as against Rs 655 crore released by the central government in the above period and almost 80,000 job cards have also not been issued because of inter-departmental conflict and complication. The state is also not able to move forward in the Indira Awaas Yojana scheme due to inordinate delay in finalising the IAY list by the state government. The non-awarding of road works in Naxalite prone districts adds a more complex problem to these tribal dominated areas, causing serious difficulties for the dwellers in obtaining medical and other benefits.

Although children’s nutrition is a major concern, the state government so far failed to evaluate the Mid-Day Meal scheme by any third party as there are large-scale allegations of poor execution of the scheme by SHGs.

It is further shocking to find that state machinery is very slow in implementing the JNNRUM in terms of finalisation of tenders for the Rs 811.98 crore approved grant for the same. It is only recently the government started city bus services in the capital city as a fulfilment of an objective of the project. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, works have been accomplished only in 6,266 villages out of 87,826 villages approved under the scheme.

The implementation of National Rural Health Mission in Orissa is in a mess though huge money has been pumped into the programme. The state has not been able to start mobile medical units in any of the districts and most of the Community Health Centres are not having round-the-clock services. The static nature of the Orissa’s rank in the composite development index over a period of time shows the poor execution of education programmes. The three undivided KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) districts of Orissa have got special plan funding since 2002-03 without showing any visible impact in the life of the poor. With hundred per cent central funding, almost Rs 1,557.50 crore have been released so far by the central government. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has also raised serious allegations against the state government. There is a serious issue of diversion of funds from one programme to another. It is found that “in eight test checked units, Rs 2.16 crore was diverted from NREGS to MPLADS during February 2006 to March 2009”.

The per capita development expenditure and per capita social sector expenditure in Orissa is much lower than the national average. The financial management of the state government is also equally horrible without following an outcome budget mechanism as suggested by 12th finance commission to measure economic efficiency and effectiveness. This mechanism can very well indicate whether the same outcome can be achieved at lower cost and the same cost can produce better results. Further, due to the appeasement policy followed by the state government in the headship of statutory corporation, cooperatives and rural banks, the average return of income is decreasing in the state and there is no attempt by government to deploy good human resources for these ailing bodies. As a result, the high cost of borrowed funds will continue to burden investment with low financial return.

Recent economic surveys also say a volume about the trailing development trends of the state in many fronts. Just taking an example of agriculture status in the state, the survey found that share of power consumption for agriculture has declined from 3.1 per cent in 2000-01 to 1.3 per cent in 2008-09, annual agriculture growth is a meagre 1.33 per cent. This policy approach is clearly reflected in the increase of farmer suicides in the state in recent years and Orissa being in the top among all states in diverting forest land for mining activities as so far, the government of Orissa has been able to transform almost 15,386 hectares of forest land, causing a serious problem to the livelihood of the lakhs of tribals in the state.

Looking at the above facts, the state’s present vision of ‘Centre bashing’ can be only seen as a tool to divert people’s attention from large scale corruption and poor execution of development schemes in the state during last 11 years. However, the existing approach will be counter-productive if the state continues to move without doing its homework properly and is always blaming the Centre for its own failure as from the above points, it is found that the state has failed miserably in executing the pro-poor programmes, thanks to inefficient and corrupt, present and former bureaucrats who have been given a free hand by the chief minister in the design and execution of implementation plans.

(The writer works for an UN agency. The views expressed above are personal. E-mail: sachisatpathy@yahoo.com)