“Manifesto for Ten Major Issues of Kalahandi Lok Sabha Constituency”

During election time all the candidates and political parties are making generous promises such as subsidy in rice, pulses, free power, etc. Though it is good it is short lived. It keeps people still in the same risky poverty level.

We need development in Kalahandi Lok Sabha Constituency (including present Kalahandi and Nuapada districts) that is sustainable in long term and do not keep poor people in the same poverty zone by making them self-dependent and respected in the society.

Kalahandi constituency is among the bottom five constituencies in India in socio-economic development. It has to go a long way to meet national average standard in many social indicators and in human development index. To achieve long term sustainable growth Kalahandi needs simultaneous major developments in agriculture, infrastructure, higher education, technical education, health and industries and not rice in Rs 1/- per kg. Rice in Rs 1/- per kg may be required but not enough for Kalahandi.

Since decades national and state politicians have often used Kalahandi as a synonym for backwardness, starvation death and child selling but none of them have come forward seriously to address what is required in developing agriculture, infrastructure, higher education, technical education, health and industries in this region. One recent example is betrayal by Odisha Sate Government for a Central University after being promised by the chief minister himself.

Our local leaders have unfortunately fallen preys in front of the national and state leaders for their own political survival instead of fighting for long term interest of their mother land-“Kalahandi Constituency”. This is the right time people of Kalahandi constituency must speak the truth. Kalahandi presently faces many challenges for its long term sustainable development.

Only those “Political Party” or “Individual” who will support present ten major issues of Kalahandi constituency and promise that as a MP or MLA he/she will dedicatedly and continuously fight on these issues till the final goals are achieved will get support and vote. Of course, candidates or political parties are free to select one, more than one, or all of the ten issues to use in their election manifestation if he/she accepts that these issues are genuine for development of Kalahandi Lok Sabha Constituency in long run.

Local Politicians and Political Parties are encouraged to whole or part of this document as their “manifesto”. We will be happy to render our support and vote to those candidates and political parties.

Summary of 10 major issues of Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency are given below.

1. New Irrigation Projects:
o Extension of Upper Indravati Irrigation Project to Koksara block, in the Ampani, Ladugaon, Behera, Gotomunda region
o Irrigating all Golamunda, Bhawanipatna and Kesinga blocks by making water shades in Tel River and by Upper Indravati Irrigation project
o New water shades irrigation projects in Nuapada, Khairar, Komna, Sinapali, Madanpur Rampur, Karlamunda, Lanjigarh, Thuamul Rampur and Narla blocks.

2. New Railway Line:
o Nuwapara road – Khariar – Sinapalli - Golamunda – Dharamgarh – Moter – Ampani – Nabarangpur – Jeypur Railway Line
o Or, Kantabanji - Khariar – Dharamgarh – Ampani – Nabarangpur – Jeypur Railway Line as proposed for survey in 2008 railway budget
o Completion of Lanjigarh road – Jungarh Railway Line in one year and extending to Dharamgarh to join with the above line

3. New State Highways:
o Bongomunda - Sindhekela – Kegaon – Brundabahal - Dharamgarh – Moter – Jaipatna – Mukhiguda – Raniguda (Koraput) State Highway
o Nuapada – Patalganga – Boden – Nilgi – Sinapalli – Golamunda – Khaliakani - Brundabahal
o Extension of SH45 from Kalyansinghpur (Rayagada dist) to Jungarh via Karlapat
o Extension of SH6A from Madanpur Rampur to Ghatapada (Boudh dist)
o Santipur – Lanjigarh road – Tumudiband (Kandhamal dist)

4. Widening and Improving Major Roads:
o Nabarangpur – Jaipatna – Mukhiguda – Thuamul Rampur – Gunupur (Kalahandi)
o Umarkote – Jarigram – Gotomunda – Dharamgarh
o Junagarh – Kalampur – Mukhiguda
o Khariar – Sinapalli - Gotomunda
o Bhawanipatna – Lanjigarh – Muniguda (Rayagada dist) (alternative to via Bissam Cuttack) by PPP with Vedanta

5. Health & Hospital:
o Branch of Central University of Orissa in Kalahandi including Faculty of medicine and hospital

6. Technical Education:
o Three Polytechnique Colleges at Bhawanipatna, Nuapada and Dharamgarh

7. Higher Education:
o Unitary University for Govt. Autonomous College Bhawanipatna

8. New Bridges:
o High Laying Bridge over Hati river near Junagarh
o Bridge over Tel river near Aatigaon
o Bridge over Udanti river near Kegaon
o Bridge over Hati river near Karchala
o Bridge over Tel river near Uchhala

9. Establishing New Industry:
o Railway Factory: Central Govt. has established a HAL factory in Koraput region and an Ordinance factory in Balangir region. However, nothing has been made in Kalahandi. A railway coach factory is required in Odisha and such a railway factory should be established in Kalahandi.
o Thermal Power Plant: Many industrial houses are interested to establish thermal plant in Odisha. Angul, Jharsuguda and Dhenkanal regions are already saturated with such industries and there are environmental concerns in those regions. Kalahandi has free land, available water and railway link for such project such as around Junargah and Kesinga.
o Downstream Industrial Park: A downstream industrial park in association with Vedanta in Kalahandi should be established
o Vedanta should also establish an aluminum smelting unit in Lanjigarh.

10. Agriculture based Park in Kalahandi:
o Textile Park: Kalahandi is one of the major producer of good quality cotton, a Textile park for cotton processing should be established in Kalahandi
o Agriculture Park: Dharamgarh sub-division is emerging as major rice and pulses producers in the region. An agriculture park should be established in Dharamgarh sub-division
o Wine or Food Processing Industry: Mahul flower is often used to prepare local liquor. Since liquor brings social troubles in the local level. So producing local liquor should be stopped and a food processing or wine industry should be established in Kalahandi for export market which will give employment and better price for those poor people who collect Mahul flower from the forest. Since selling in local market will not be allowed it will not affect society negatively rather those poor tribal people who collect Mahul flower would be benefited so are the youth for employment.
o Reviving Sugar Factory in Junagarh block.