Report Card of “14 years of BJD Govt. in Odisha”
(Review by civil society at Bhubaneswar on 31st May 2015)
Introduction
BJD Govt. has
already completed one year of its fourth term in Odisha. In 2014, the people of Odisha demonstrating
their unflinching faith for the fourth time in Sri Nabin Patnaik voted to power
Biju Janata Dal with an overwhelming majority.
In its election manifesto Biju Janata Dal had dished out a lot of promises to fulfil
the hopes and aspirations of the people and especially for bringing economic
prosperity in the state. Within the year
just passed, the State Govt. has of course taken several initiatives to
implement its manifesto and also launched a number of people oriented
programmes. The activities of the Govt. in various fields like
social security, employment
generation, agriculture, health, education, disaster management, governance,
RTI and Human Rights which directly
concern the people at grassroots level were required to be debated and discussed in public domain to assess
the Government’s achievements and
gaps if any during the past year vis-a-vis the BJD election manifesto. Needless to say, such
debates and discussions would enable the civil society to suggest to the
Govt. what best can be done in days
ahead to address to the gaps so noticed.
Keeping the
above concern in view, a Civil Society meeting under the title ‘One year on,
fourth term of Nabin-led Government in Odisha’ was organised under the joint
aegis of 25 Social Action Groups on 31.5.15 at Lohia Academy, Bhubaneswar.
A total of 80 participants including representatives of 25 social action groups
and activists working in various fields in different districts had participated
in the programme.
Though, it
was earlier decided to review the one year performance of BJD Govt, however the
presentations made by the participants took a dig into 15 years of
BJD Govt. in the state. Sri Rabi Das, senior journalist presided over
the first session, while Prof. Jantrana Parikhit coordinated the second session
of the day. Sri Pradip Prdhan welcomed the participants and made a brief
presentation about the objective of the meeting. A good number activists and
subject experts presented their overviews of the issues which have affected the
people at large. The Activists and
representatives of Civil society Groups also debated and discussed at length on
a host of issues and and highlighted the successes and failures of the
Government in delivering the promises. The theme wise presentations made by the
Activists/ subject experts are as follows.
Sl.No.
|
Name
|
Orgaisation
|
Subject matter
|
1
|
Anil
Pradhan
|
State
Convener, State RTE Forum
|
Education
and status of Implementation of Right to Education Act.
|
2
|
Gouranga
Mohapatra
|
State
Convener, Jana Swasthya Abhijan
|
Health
|
3
|
Biswajit
Mohanty
|
Member,
Transparency International
|
Mining,
Forest and Wild Life
|
4
|
Manohar
Chouhan
|
Social
Activist
|
Forest
Rights Act
|
5
|
Ashok
mallik
|
President,
National Alliance of Dalit
Organisations ( NACDOR), State Chapter
|
Dalit issue
|
6
|
Debendra
Sutar
|
Social
Activist
|
Witch
|
7
|
Shaikh
Abdulla
|
President,
Basti Sangh, Cuttack
|
Slum-Dweller
issues
|
8
|
Maoj Jena
|
President,
Human Rights Front
|
Violation
of Human Rights
|
9
|
Pradip
Pradhan
|
State
Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan
|
RTI, Right
to Food, Land scam and Governance
|
10
|
Mira Kinnar
|
Secretary,
Surakhya Kinnar Sangh
|
Transgender
Sex
|
11
|
Sudarshan
Chhotaray
|
Convener,
Coast Counil
|
Disaster and Migration
|
12
|
Ashok Nanda
|
Convener,
Lok Samukhya
|
Governance
|
13
|
Ranjit
Patnaik
|
Social
Activist
|
Utilisation
of External funding to Govt.
|
14
|
Sudhir
Mohanty
|
Advocate,
Odisha High Court and Secretary, Odisha Durniti Sangharsh Manch
|
Corruption
and Mal governance
|
15
|
Prafulla
Samantaray
|
President,
Lok Shalti Abhijan
|
Governance,
forest and environment
|
16
|
Rabi Das
|
Senior
Journalist
|
Governance
|
17
|
Sripati
Singh
|
Member
|
Right to
City
|
18
|
Bimal Kumar
|
Social
Activist
|
Information
Technology
|
19
|
Khirod Rout
|
Advocate,
Odisha High Court
|
Issues of
Slum Dweller
|
Major issues highlighted in
the meeting.
A. Governance issues
1.
It is a mystery that the
Nabin Patnaik Govt. Has succeeded In
projecting itself as a clean and transparent Govt. despite its bleak record as evident from a massive scale of corruption and
irregularities afflicting the general and development administration and
surfacing of big scams around Chit Fund
, Mining, Land allotment, Dal purchase and loot of NREGA funds. Govt’s
failure to implement RTI Act effectively
has also contributed to the deplorable scenario of messy governance in Odisha. The irony is that despite such scams and
scandals, this Govt. has managed to strengthen
its vote bank
and increase its numbers in
Odisha Legislative Assembly. It has also succeeded in befooling the whole state
for last 14 years into believing that it is the star a champion of the poor and
downtrodden people.
2.
During the last 14 years of
misrule of Nabin Patnaik Govt., the democratic institutions and statutory and
constitutional bodies have been steadily undermined and disempowered.
Bureaucratisation of the political system
has become the order of the day.
The working of BJD-Govt. revolves round Nabin Patnaik up-manship.
Ministers and MLAs are simply bypassed in the decision-making processes around
legislative and policy matters. Agenda for the cabinet meetings are not
circulated to the Ministers duly before the cabinet meetings are held. The
number of days for which the Odisha Legislative Assembly sits is found to be
gradually decreasing from year to year.
3.
Over-all academic standard
and environment in different universities
and Colleges are found
deteriorating day by day due to
corruption, irregularities, mal-administration and bad governance etc.
4.
The State Govt. has itself become a disaster
for the people in the state. Man-made calamities are increasing day by day. For
example, the fisher-folk have been debarred from fishing for 8 months in a
year.
5.
There is arbitrary
appointment in all Commissions without any transparent procedure being
followed. Not only transparency is not
maintained, but also public consultation is not held prior to appointment to
constitutional and statutory bodies. BJD Govt. is aptly described as a Govt. of
Commissions and Committees, since no Action Taken Report is submitted by the
Government. Farmers Commission, Commission on Regional Imbalances and Pal
Commission on constitution of High Court Benches in other regions are glaring
instances of the above phenomenon.
6.
Out of 27 RDC-level inquiries, Action has not
been taken in 12 cases since last ten years. Information about Status of Crime
Branch Enquiry is not available in Public domain. Crime Branch inquiry has been
proved as a farce in Ghangapatana land scam and Itishree murder case.
7.
5 rupee meal is designed to
divert attention of the people from land scam in urban areas.
8.
Out of 28 Companies which signed MOU with Govt
for setting up power plants in Odisha, only 3 Companies have started their
operation. No information about the
amount invested or employment generated by the Companies is available in public
domain.
9. No
transparency procedure has been followed in the appointment of all the
quasi-judicial bodies like State Commission for Women, State Information
Commission, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Odisha
Human Rights Commission.
10. National
Food Security Act is yet to be implemented in the state.
11. Vigilance Inquiry into the land scam is
designed to prolong the enquiry for endless period in the name of
investigation. The Govt. has not been able to recover a single plot of land
illegally allotted, nor booked a single man who has grabbed the public land
illegally.
12. Potato
Mission failed due to non-availability of infrastructure like Cold Storage.
Odisha has 111 cold storages out of
which only 24 including 6 run by the Govt are
in a working condition.
13. Devolution of power to Panchayat is still a far cry. 29 items
are yet to devolve to Panchayats as
mandated by the Part-9 of the Constitution. Panchayats have been reduced to
the subservient agents of the lower
level Govt. functionaries. Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled
Areas) Act has not yet been given a proper trial by the Govt. Gram Sabha in scheduled areas is yet to be
empowered as per the PESA Act.
14. NREGA has already proved
as the biggest man-made disaster in the state. Till date, there is not a single
instance whereby a job card holder has got his/her wage payment within 7 days
as per the Act. Grievance Redressal mechanism has turned into a visible failure
with no ombudsman being in place in any district and directorate of social
audit remaining defunct in the state. The NREGA Scheme of the Government has
failed to check migration in KBK and tribal districts.
15. Though the State Govt. has promised to take action in accordance
with Shah Commission Recommendations in respect of Mining Scams, not a single
lease has been cancelled against violation of forest laws.
B.
Laws and Policies
·
The implementation of
progressive and people-centred laws like Right to Information Act 2005 , Right
to Education Act 2009, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2006, National
Food Security Act 2013, Odisha Lokayukta Act 2014, National Disaster Management
Act, 2005 Cigarette and Other Tobacco
Product Act, 2003, Clinical Establishment Act,1999 is hardly visible
anywhere in the State. State Planning Board is defunct in Odisha since 2009.
There is no planning or policy decision in the state. The State Govt. is only
floating schemes one after another as per its sweet will without any regard
being paid for their implementation, social audit and performance evaluation.
·
Though the State Govt. has
enacted Odisha Lokayukta Act, it suffers from a basic loophole, that is, the
Vigilance still remains under the grip of the Government. Moreover, though the
earlier Odisha Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 1995 has been repealed the new
Lokayukta Act 2014 is to be implemented. Odisha has no Lokpal or Lokayukta to
enquire into corruption charges levelled against public servants. Ironically as
many as 1535 cases which were reportedly pending with the previous Lokpal of
Odisha do remain unattended as before.
·
Despite Supreme Court direction, the State
Govt. is yet to set up Third Gender
Welfare Board.
C.
Right to Education Act
·
Only 3% of
Schools in Odisha are reportedly fully complying with RTE Act.
·
The
figures for four districts, Malkanagiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada and Raygada show that only less than 1% of schools
complywith RTE Act.
·
Single teachers are found in
3440 schools out of 56, 000 Primary
schools.
— Increase in numbers of
private schools during last 5 years is a worrisome phenomenon [ viz 2009-10( 4328), 2010-11( 4340),
2011-12( 4356), 2012-13-(4482), 2013-14(4724)]
— Out of School Children in Odisha- As per Gov. of Odisha data only
6000 but central Government data place it more than 4 lakhs)
— Clean Drinking Water: Forget about the
conditions, 1714 schools are yet to have any facility for clean drinking water.
— Electricity & Computer: 82% (43,386)
schools have no electricity facilities. Only 7% schools have computer.
D.
Unemployment
·
Total No. of 10, 95,151 youths
have been registered as unemployed by 2015.
·
Total no. of 42,222 people have been recruited
in different sectors within last 14 years.
·
49 plants have earmarked to
generate 65724 employments in the state. But within last 14 years of the BJD
Govt., only 3298 Odias have got direct employment and 3864 nos indirect
employment.
E. Right to Information Act,2005
·
Odisha RTI Rules, 2005 is
illegal, absurd ad ultra vires designed to subvert proper implementation of RTI
Act.
·
The arrangement for proactive
disclosure of elaborate and updated information under section 4 (1)(b) of the
RTI Act has not been put in place in the
State as it should be.
·
Disclosures of information and
decisions of the Information Commission are to be made in in Odia as required
under the parent Act though civil society has been demanding it for last 10
years.
F.
Forest Rights Act
·
While the FRA recognizes the
pre- existing individual and community rights over forest land and forest, in
last 7 years of FRA implementation, Govt. of Odisha used the Act as Land
Distribution Scheme in the State.
·
While Govt. of Odisha is claiming to be the No.1 in
distributing highest number of Individual Forest Rights(IFR) titles (3,44.430 by 30th April 2015) in the whole country,
the fact is that in maximum cases, IFR titles have been recognized without
demarcation of the occupied forest land leading to serious conflicts in the
coming days.
· When up to 10 acres
of forest land can be recognized under FRA, the Govt. of Odisha is consistently
limiting the average forest land recognized under
IFR to 1.58 acres only from last 2009.
· Over last seven
years, Govt. of Odisha has failed to recognize the Community Forest Rights
(CFR) in the State which is very important one.
Within 7 years of implementation of FRA, the total CFR claims filed in the
State is 6572 and only 1511 CFR titles have been issued
over 97,830.91 acres of forest land.
· While the FRA has made the KL Pluckers owner of the Kendu Leaf, the
Govt. of Odisha illegally continue to loot the around 9 lakhs KL Pluckers
families in the State by eating around 80% of the profit earned form KL
business in the State.
G.
Right to Food
·
During the general election,
Biju Janata Dal in its election
manifesto has declared for enactment of separate Food security law in the
state. Though one year has passed, the state Govt. is yet to enact any such law
in the state.
·
Insufficient Allocation of
funds for MDM and ICDS has resulted in failure to provide nutritious food to
the children under Mid-Day-Meal and ICDS programme in the state.
·
Distribution of sugar for the BPL and Antodaya card holders has been stopped
by state Govt. from June 2013.
·
Emergency Feeding programme
under which 2 lakh older persons were provided one hot cooked meal each in
Anganwadi centre in KBK region has been stopped.
I. Health issues
·
Clinical Establishment Act,
1999 has not been reformed as per National CEA 2010 along with non-prescription of Ethical Code for
private Nursing Home and clinic.
·
Declaration of Distribution of
572 type of free medicine under “ Niramaya” Yojana in all PHC and CHC and Govt.
hospitals is found false, as there is availability of only 158 type of medicine in Hospitals with no weir house for
storage of medicine at CHC and PHC level.
·
108 Ambulance vehicle has not been tagged to many CHCs and PHCs in
tribal districts of the state.
G. Other issues
·
Due to lack of employment
opportunity, 40 lakh Odias have migrated to other states in pursuit of
livelihood. There is distress migration
of 5 lakh people in KBK region every year due to food scarcity. NREGA has failed to create hope among the
migrant workers in the state.
·
Payment of Compensation against
crop loss and loss of human lives caused due to wildlife attacks is delayed
invariably due to outdated Rules.
·
Approximately ten lakh tribal and Dalit
families in Odisha are still landless.
·
Odia language is getting
outdated day by day in the state with Odia Bhasha Pratisthan remaining defunct.
Prepared by Pradip Pradhan , M-9937843482 for presentation on Press
Meet held at Lohia Bhawan, Bhubaneswar on 3.6.15 which was addressed by
Sri Prafulla Samantaray, Lokashakri Abhijan, Prof. Jantrana parikhit,
President, Odisha Nagarik samaj, Sudhir Mohanty, Advocate, Odisha High
Court, Sudarshan Chhotaray, Coast
Council, Manohar Chouhan, CSD, Sachikant Pradhan, Social activist, Pratap
sahu, and Menaka Kinnar, Kinnar Surakha
Sangh
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