Development - Alert

Jharkhand

Almost every year the government declares Jharkhand as the drought affected state. It is able to generate huge sum of money in the name of drought. After the formation of the state in 2000 till the financial year of 2004-05, the centre and the state granted a sum of Rs.96.83 crores to be utilized for the very purpose. However the state government is able to spent only 30% of the amount. Following is the details of how the government utilized fund under Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) in the last four years in Jharkhand: 

Have a degree, will get a job

The Chief Minister has given green signal to a project wherein the youth belonging to the primitive tribes would be offered direct employment in Class III jobs like clerks, accountants and teachers, if they have a graduate degree.

 The project is being launched by the State Welfare Department. This is an effort to bring the primitive tribes into the mainstream society. It would aloes act as an inspiration for others in their tribe to get educated and become economically independent.

The detailed survey report showed that against the total population of primitive tribes of 1.9 lakh, there were only 101 graduates. Of these only 21 were girls. The study showed that tribes like Birhors and Pahariyas had no graduates among their ilk.

Incomplete schemes in the most backward 14 districts of Jharkhand

Planning Commission has selected 140 most backward districts in India. Jharkhand contributes 9.33% of these total backward districts: 14 of such districts are in Jharkhand.

As per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, ‘Food for Work’ scheme was launched in these districts. The purpose was to generate employment and create basic infrastructure in the region. Under ‘Food for Work’ scheme, the Centre had sanctioned 2.3 lakh MT foodgrains to the state. The State has lifted only 8.2thousand food grains (3.5%) from this allotment. Further, the Centre allotted Rs.225.95 crores for Central government sponsored schemes in the state. In the financial year 2004-05,  5236 such schemes were granted to the state. Very surprisingly, only 97 of them have been completed so far. As a result 98% of the schemes are still lying incomplete in these districts. Not a single scheme has been complete in 9 out of 14 districts.

Following is the latest position of the schemes being implemented in 14 districts: