Our Analysis: Is BJD widening regional imbalance within Orissa?

Another article in Tehelka which contradicts our belief that 25 kg of rice every month at Rs 2 had any reason for BJD to win the election.

http://www.tehelka. com/story_ main41.asp? filename= Ne300509the_ solitary. asp
(http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/05/solitary-reaper-naveen-patnaik.html)

If the fate of first phase election in Orissa (46% won by BJD) would have been repeated in the second phase election, BJD would not have got majority or might have lost the election in Orissa.

Some of the arguments supplied by Rohini Mohan in the above article seem to be rational but the article fails to explain why people voted overwhelmingly (93% won by BJD & alliance) to BJD & alliance in the second phase election.

The theory put by Hindu Business Line, due to anti-industrial sentiment is illogical (I think).

http://www.thehindu businessline. com/blnus/ 60211160. htm
(http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/05/bjd-falters-in-most-industrial-hubs.html)

Because in Kalahandi anti-Vendata protest rarely got any support out side Lanjigarh block except by the affected people, and few groups based in Bhawanipatna (for professional and political reasons). Most of the general public out side Lanjigarh block was never excited or interested to oppose Vedanta, so it was not a political issue as per my knowledge. Similarly, in Kalinga Nagar, Paradeep and Puri, where similar anti-industrial protests were more violent than in Kalahandi or Jharsuguda, BJD received overwhelming response. What about other parts of South and Western Orissa such as Bargarh, Nabarangpur, etc where there were no industrial activities but BJD got poor response? I think this article was just to appease leftist ideology (Note: Hindu is alleged to be a pro-left news paper).

If the article written by Jay Panda Babu (in Indian Express) is believable and the reason of BJD’s success is solely due to Naveen babu and his Govt.’s developmental initiatives & success then there is an internal problem in our state.

http://www.indianex press.com/ news/how- to-be-a-pappu/ 464018/0
(http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-be-pappu.html)

In that case, does it mean the growth is either not equal or not reaching properly to western and southern part of Orissa, except Ganjam district (Ganjam can also be classified as costal Orissa rather than Southern Orissa as per geography) where BJD also won overwhelmingly?

I can partly feel it, when I compare the situation in Kalahandi, Nuapada and Balangir regions that I visit sometime, in a/two year intervals, whether these are main roads, bridges, educational institutions where state Govt. has more role to play (unlike the case of railways), the situations are similar as before. The conditions of main roads are as it used to be 20 years ago, only exceptions are few village roads through PMGSY. On the other hand these days visiting Bhubaneswar gives pleasant feeling every time to me, honestly, I have not explored many other major roads in costal part of Orissa in regular interval, but my road journey from Bhubaneswar to Puri to Konark to Bhubaneswar and Bhubaneswar to Cuttack also gave me pleasant feelings in 2007, where as Balangir to Bhawanipatna to Nabarangpur on NH201 can be heartening.

Following are some major roads the state Government needs to look again.

(1) Jaipatna (Kalahandi), Moter, Dharamgarh, Keagaon, Sindhekeal (Balangir) to Bongomunda;

(2) Khariar (Nuapada district), Sinapalli, Golamunda, to Brundabahal;

(3) Nabarangpur, Tentulikhunti, Jaipatna, to Thuamul Rampur;

(4) Junagarh, Kalampur, Mukhiguda to Raniguda (Koraput);

(5) Nuapada, Patalganga, Boden, Nilji, to Sinapalli (Nuapada dist)

(6)Umarkote, Jarigram, Gotomunda to Dharamgarh

I request the CM and Jaya babu themselves take a ride on these routes.

My experince was hearting when I travelled from Jaipatna (Kalahandi), Moter, Tarapur, Dharamgarh, Khariar, Bongomunda, Kantabanji, Patnagarh to Balangir in 2006. It seems the conditions of the route remain the same since decade. People from Nilji or Sinapalli region almost spend the whole day to reach Jaipatna.

The unequal growth could be due to either unequal distribution or corruption in the ground level. In both cases it is the role of the state Government to distribute internally within the state and implement it properly in the ground level.

Unfortunately, Naveen babu visits Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput and Kandhamal (KBKK) and other western Orissa region only during election time unless there are serious troubles in the region like Maoists or flood, which rarely occurs in 5 years. In last 5 years he visited Kalahandi 4 times out of which 3 times just before this election (one time for laying foundation stones and other 2 times for election campaigning to two different regions within the district), and first time was an Arial survey during a flood in Aatigaon region. Where as one can find him visiting Ganjam and some other costal Orissa pockets at least once, if not so often, in a year for some kind of inauguration, this or that, in addition to his visits during trouble hours. Such visit does make a difference in the ground level, as it put officials in alert and helps to monitor the progress properly in an interval when the CM is supposed to be good, proactive and honest like him.

This is the right time our intellectuals, political analysts, social scientist, politicians, Chief Minister and the state Government seriously need rethinking on the basis of regional growth in Western and Southern part of Orissa, “if Naveen babu and BJD won this election only due to the development in past years & nothing else, and we dream for a developed and peaceful Orissa, in Naveen babu’s own language, for tomorrow”. Otherwise it will encourage regionalism and divide people internally within Orissa.