KBK Projects.

BY K. SUDHAKAR PATNIK

The K.B.K. (Undivided Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi Districts) are famous for infamous starvation deaths, sale of children, leaving their Birth Places in search of work and food to other neighboring States. It is a great shame on the part of the rulers that even after 60 Years on Independence the fate of the Tribals living in remote villages not changed much in spite of pumping crores of Rupees for these Three undivided Districts. Way back 1987 the Prime Minister of India visited personally the remote villages and living condition of the people in Kalahandi and Kashipur. The central Government released more than 60 Crores Rupees from International fund for agricultural development only for Kashipur Block to strengthen the economic condition of the people. 50 per cent of the Funds meant for the Poor living under the Block pocketed by the Officials. And it also benefited the politicians, Contractors according to the report submitted by the enquiry committee in which the than Rayagada collector him self involved along with some Officers (the enquiry report is in position of this writer). Corruption became day today life of the Officers working for the benefit of the Poor in KBK. It is like pest is eating pesticides. Hitting the Headline of increasing poverty, Infant, mortality malnourished children the Government decided to lunch a special Program for the benefit of people living in these Three undivided districts. In 1992 the KBK Districts were divided into smaller districts. The erstwhile Koraput district was divided into Four districts Viz 1. Koraput, 2. Rayagada, 3. Nawrangpur, 4. Malakangiri, Bolangiri divided Bolagir and Sonepur, Kalahandi District divided Kalahandi and Nowapora. All the divided Three into Eight Districts are under the KBK Project. It’s population is about 7,240,691, 75 per cent of the people living in remote villages with in the area of 47646 square Kilometers. The Orissa State Government proposed long term action plan for accelerating the pace of development in these district which was to be operation for 7 years from 95 - 96 to 2001 - 2002. On 20th March 1993, the State Government sent a Drought mitigation and development saturation. Central team visited the state with in days on receipt of Drought Mitigation and development action plan sent on 20.03.1993 for the assistance asked for was 667.49 Crores for 1993 - 94 and 1994 -1995 instead of releasing funds it suggested for preparing a long term action plan with a Five Year Perspective. The Prime Minister visited the state on April 22, 1993. Again the government of India advised to send second revised LTAP which was prepared and Projected a total requirement of Rs. 6656.44 Crores with Rs.2118.63 Crores being in sight. The government of India was requested to fill up was Rs. 4537.87 Crores. Again the Secretary RD. Mr. B.N. Yugander visited KBK Districts and advised to send reformulated the RLTAP which was prepared and sent to Govt. of India by the State Government.

The Prime Minister of India came to Orissa to lunch the LTAP on 18th August, 1995 at Dayanidhiguda 10 KM from Koraput District Head Quarter, unfortunately the name of the village not mentioned in District map or even in the map of the Block. When contacted the Block Development Officer, Koraput said that not even a single Rupee spent on Dayanidhiguda from K.B.K. Funds. The Govt. Offices like Soil Conservation, Agriculture Office and other Department Offices which were seen functioning on the day of the Prime Minister's visit later closed down their Offices. This it self proves the way the Govt. Higher ups cheated the Prime Minister of India. The Lift Irrigation point which was inaugurated by no other than P.M. to provide Irrigation facilities provided only for few days and later completely became defiant.

The Government of India released Funds for the 95 - 96 Rs. 12.33 Crores, 1995 - 1997 Nil, 1995 - 98 Rs. 8.14 Crores. It means total amount released to KBK was Rupees Rs. 20.47 Crores as against LTAP requirement of Rs. 289 Crores. In fact the Prime Minister on Orissa Soil declared that from 1995 - 96 to 2001 - 2002 or total sum of Rs. 6654.44 Crores would he spent through KBK Yojana under the revised long term action plane but the Central government failed to release the funds assured. The planning commission was vide her DO letter No. 13253 Dt. 9th October 2001, addressed to the Chief Administrator KBK only to send again the revised Long term action plan, which has been sent by the Chief Administrator for an amount of Rupees 6251.08 but the Funds of Rupees 253.75 released by the Government of India from 1998 - 2001. Besides the planning Commission was released Additional Central Assistance of Rs. 100 Crores for the year 2001 - 2002 and loan amount of Rs. 100 Crores. Again the Additional Central Assistance received from Government of India for the KBK from 1995 - 2001 (7 Years) Rs. 174.24 Crores only. If we go page to page of the Officials records it revels the Funds under KBK Project released very less what was announced earlier. Again for the Year 2001 - 2002 Government of India was given Additional central Assistance of Rs. 100 Crores, Besides Additional fund Rs. 100 Crores have been sanctioned under the Accelerated irrigation benefit scheme. In 1998 a revised action plan for implementation of LTAP for KBK districts was prepared. It is to cover the period of 1998 - 1999 to 2006 - 2007 as per the advice of the Government of India. It focuses 11 key sectors of rural development, Agricultural, Horticulture, Wather shead Development, A Forestation, Rural unemployment, Irrigation, Health, Emergency Feeding, Provision of Drinking Water, Education, Rural village Connectivity, and Welfare of SC and ST for Rs. 6251.08 Crores, but unfortunately the Central Government decided to close the Project by 2007. As per the earlier decision. In spite of releasing Funds now and than the result is not up to the expectation. According to the Officials sources of information the District has been getting normal funds in edition for KBK Project under various Anti Poverty Programs. The funds meant for all these developmental Programs never reaches to the Poor for whom the funds meant for, due to deep rooted corruption involved while spending the money. Than the KBK total Population in 1995 was 5,474025 and 72 % of the population than was under the poverty line. When the population figure put 7,240,691 in 2001 - 2002. The under poverty had run upto 89 %, according to planning commission. Crores of Rupees being spent in the reason past Three Years. It is not possible on the part of this Writer to visit and collect information from the other undivided Kalahandi and Bolangir Districts on which we can write separate stories. Regarding the undivided Koraput District is concern, the Koraput District is located in the southern part of Orissa and as declared an Adibashi area. According to the Director Integrated Rural Development of weaker sections in India (WIDA). Dr. Sasi Prabha in a public address on "NGO initiates on child labor and Education on 5th November, 2004 at Hydrabad said the Literacy rate is very low in undivided Koraput district. The female literacy rate in Koraput is 15.15 % and Adibashi female literacy being 2.14 % and Dalit female literacy being 9.25 % the rural literacy rate is 15.89 % with female literacy relating 7.17 among the rural Adibashi female literacy rate is 1.57 %. In a survey conducted by a group of Journalists that about 75 % of the villages are having no road communication and 80 % of the villages having no Bus communication facilities. In spite of having Three major Hydro Electric Projects about 90 % of the villages are getting no Power. More than 400 villages are cutoff from the main stream. Years ago the people living in these villages first to come across the progress machine, only progressively crushed. In the name of projects for the developments in KBK another 50 Thousand families are going to be crushed, for the benefit of few individuals. It is quite surprise that Nabin Pattnaik is lunching a new and parallel package called Biju package, Biju KBK plan for 600 Crores shifting the blame for high prevalence of poverty and trendy progress of work in KBK district instead of preventing the pilferage of funds and to punish the Corrupt Officers. The BJD and BJP Government in the state should go back to the History of KBK districts before lunching such plans and programs. In 1986 - 87 I still remember curving the population in Kalahandi the health Officers excided the family planning target of 337 by sterilizing 761 people but of there 70 men and 89 women have had no children. The only health care was than available family planning operation. And now the only development works are signing more number of MOU (Memorandum Of Understandings) is the present day of politics.