This story is from February 6, 2019

Modi govt has robbed you, Rahul tells Odisha tribals

Modi govt has robbed you, Rahul tells Odisha tribals
BHAWANIPATNA (KALAHANDI): In a bid to woo tribals and farmers, who constitute about 22 per cent and 70 per cent of Odisha’s nearly 4.5 crore population, the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a public gathering at Bhawanipatna on Wednesday, spewed venom against the state government and Centre for allegedly neglecting the backward and tribal-dominated Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region, comprising Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts.
Rahul also came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Naveen Patnaik at another public meeting at Rourkela in Sundargarh district for their alleged failures on different fronts.
Reminding his support for the primitive tribes of Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district in their fight against bauxite mining by Vedanta in 2008 and 2010, Rahul slammed Narendra Modi government for having scrapped the KBK scheme, meant for eight districts, and Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) project covering 20 districts, both launched during the UPA regime.
“Our party had launched both the schemes for overall development of the tribals in Odisha. Congress always accorded special care and attention to tribals and took steps to protect their forest rights, land and water. But the Modi government snatched all your rights and destroyed the tribal welfare projects and policies, launched during UPA rule,” Rahul said a gathering of around 30,000 people in the backdrop of picturesque hills along Bhawanipatna-Junagarh road. While 34 seats out of 147 in Odisha assembly are reserved for ST candidates, at least 13 tribal seats fall under the eight districts in KBK region.
On August 18, 1995, former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao launched a long-term action plan for KBK to alleviate hunger and usher in development. In 2006-07, the Congress at Centre introduced BRGF project in 20 backward districts, including the KBK region for overall development. In 2015-16 budget, the Centre delinked the schemes.
Though the state government in 2006 launched its own Biju KBK plan, Rahul slammed chief minister Naveen Patnaik for doing precious little to alleviate poverty, generate employment opportunities, improve healthcare system and education scenario in the backward districts. Rahul pulled up Naveen by raising the issue involving Dana Majhi, who walked nearly 10 km shouldering his dead wife in absence of ambulance in Kalahandi in 2016. Rahul, who tried to strike an emotional chord with local tribals by invoking reigning goddess Maa Manikeswari and remembering some prominent local freedom fighters, said he would stand by the tribals and protect their rights just as he had stood by them during their fight against bauxite mining by Vedanta at Niyamagiri hills in Kalahandi district.

Tribals said basic facilities and infrastructure still eludes interior pockets in Kalahandi. “I am not a supporter of any party. I, on behalf of some of my villagers from Jaipatna tehsil area in Kalahandi district, came here and unsuccessfully tried to meet Rahul Gandhi to apprise him of our problems in the village. We struggle to get water, electricity and healthcare in our area. People residing at Bhawanipatna, the district headquarter of Kalahandi, might have access to everything. But we in interior areas lack several facilities,” Kirtan Harijan, a 71-year-old tribal said.
Bhajaman Bag, another tribal, who ekes out living by selling fruits in Bhawanipatna, says politicians, irrespective of parties only make promises in the run-up to elections. “We hardly see implementation of the schemes, announced by leaders of different parties,” Bag said.
Rahul, who during his January 25 Bhubaneswar visit took ‘Chowkidar chor hey’ jibe at Modi, renewed his attack on the latter and reiterated that chief minister Naveen Patnaik is a remote control at Modi’s hand. “It is time to throw the remote control in Odisha and vote for Congress,” Rahul said by reiterating his promise of farm loan waiver and Rs 2,600 MSP on paddy. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who accompanied Rahul to Bhawanipatna, came down heavily on Modi for allegedly neglecting farmers in the country. Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik, leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra and former union minister Bhakta Charan Das among others threw darts at Modi and Naveen for allegedly failing to bring development in the state.
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About the Author
Debabrata Mohapatra

Debabrata Mohapatra is a senior correspondent at The Times of India, Bhubaneswar. He holds a PG diploma in Journalism from Chennai and covers crime and civic issues. Debabrata spends his leisure reading and watching cricket on TV.

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