Interface throws up many questions but few answers

The Hindu, April 18, 2007

Special Correspondent
People losing faith in Government owing to improper execution of schemes
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Set up more small-scale industries, says Gamang
Call to monitor implementation of programmes
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BHUBANESWAR: It turned out to be an interface of a different kind on Monday when Parliamentarians, legislators and civil society workers unanimously agreed that people were losing faith in the Government owing to improper implementation of welfare programmes.Expressing concern over the emerging challenges and people's resistance to development projects in different parts of the country, the participants said all sections of society should join hands so that the benefits of welfare schemes reached the poor. A majority of them blamed the bureaucracy for failure of the development mechanism.

The daylong interface titled "Exposure visit on building a network of Parliamentarians/Legislators/Civil Society for Development" was organised by the New Delhi-based Independent Commission for People's Rights and Development (ICPRD).

The interface, divided into two sessions — "Meeting of Minds" and "Voices from the Ground", left many questions unanswered as Parliamentarians and legislators themselves expressed helplessness about the implementation of programmes aimed at poverty reduction.

Lok Sabha MP and former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang expressed concern over the people's resistance to large-scale industries. The Government should set up more small-scale industries in any area to create employment opportunities before allowing a big industry to come up in the area, he said.

Mr. Gamang said all those involved in the functioning of the Government should have people's welfare in their minds. The role of the Government, bureaucracy and people should be complementary to one other.

Biju Janata Dal MP Tathagat Satapathy said lack of leadership was adding to the problem of underdevelopment. He also underlined the need for a resource policy for Orissa in order to ensure judicious use of natural resources.

Citing the case of backwardness of the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said there was no change in the socio-economic condition of the people in those districts despite heavy expenditure under various development programmes.

On the development initiatives taken by the Tamil Nadu Government, Lok Sabha MP from Sivakasi A. Ravichandran said development without a human face was bound to create aggression among the people.

`Focus on agriculture'


The development of agriculture should be given priority and innovative models of development should be evolved to fight poverty, he said.

Senior legislator Sugnana Kumari Deo underlined the need for close monitoring of implementation of various programmes to ensure development.