Bhubaneswar, June 22: Undeterred by the failure of the first tribal development project, which started in 1988, the Orissa government is ready to commence the second programme in 30 tribal-dominated blocks from July.
The project, Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme, meant to empower tribals and give them the right over forest resources, would continue for a period of 10 years. Agencies like the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme and the Department for International Development (DFID) would assist in developing the Rs 434.42 crore project.
At a meeting held in the state secretariat yesterday, which was chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the project was discussed by chief secretary Pratip Mohanty, tribal development minister Balabhadra Majhi and representatives of DFID and IFAD.
The programme would seek to ensure sustainable improvements in food security and livelihood in poor tribal households by promoting a more efficient exploitation of natural resources. This will be achieved by building the capacity of marginal groups (both individuals and grassroots institutions).
The 10-year programme would attach maximum importance to development schemes like watershed mission, palli sabha (village decision-making body) and self-help groups. The watershed mission and self-help groups would help create self-employment opportunities and provide more work to the tribals, Majhi said.
Blocks such as Kashipur, Kotagarh and Tumudibandh, which hit the headlines over allegations of starvation deaths, were expected to be benefit from the programme.
In addition, the programme proposed to strengthen the institutional capacity of government organisations, local self-government institutions and NGOs.
The programme has made specific provisions to encourage the development of an enabling, pro-tribal policy environment.
The programme will cover 30 blocks in Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nuapara, Nowrangpur, Malkangiri and Gajapati. The programme will directly benefit about 17 lakh people of 75,000 households.
After the deliberations with DFID and IFAD, the chief minister held another high-level meeting with his secretaries and Majhi to fine-tune the programme.
Majhi said it was decided to implement the programme in 10 blocks covering 250 villages in the first phase beginning July. While Rs 50 lakh was allotted for the programme, DFID would sanction the amount after the budgetary allocation was finalised, he added.
The programme would involve NGOs and Integrated Tribal Development Agencies to run the project, Majhi said.
The programme would also pay special attention to marginalised groups, namely women, unemployed youth and children, primitive tribal groups, hill cultivators, landless and marginal farmers and Scheduled Castes.
Though the Rs 60 crore project, which began in 1988, was supposed to increase the income level of the tribals of Kashipur block, it created a large number of contractors who were paid for non-existent work through false measurement books. In one of the projects reviewed, there was no road though the contractors were paid for the same work.
