The state government is firm on monitoring the work and funds of SOCIAL outfits under the RTI ACT, says Dhrutikam Mohanty
Development programmes launched by the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Orissa are not bearing much fruit. The situation becomes clear when one looks at the level of human development in the state. Orissa’s Human Development Index (HDI) ratings, the yardstick used to measure citizens’ access to knowledge, health, food and nutritional security, is at a nadir of 0.345. Families living below the poverty line (BPL) number over 40 lakh, a figure rising with each passing year. A survey in 1997 fixed the number of BPL families at 38 lakh. The figure jumped to 41.56 lakh in a 2002 survey. “Facts and figures clearly reveal that welfare projects are not implemented properly at the grassroots. Growth exists only on paper to appease bosses at the state secretariat,” remarks Panchanan Kanoongo, former finance minister of Orissa.
According to a survey in 2007-2008, over 80 per cent of households in 15 districts had a very low standard of living. It added that over 50 per cent households in 18 districts were BPL cardholders, the percentage being 60 in eight other districts.
While one is aware of the red tape and other bottlenecks in implementation of welfare programmes of the Centre or the state, it is time to examine the role of NGOs. “Administration at the grassroots is also riddled with corruption, favouritism and, very often, political intervention. But what happens to the efforts of 3,000-odd registered voluntary organisations (VOs) and NGOs working here,” asks senior journalist Ranjit Mohanty, who reports on the NGO sector in the state. Pramilla Mallick, minister of women and child development, says, “As per my knowledge, a minimum of two to three NGOs are working in each panchayat. If development is still not visible, then their activities should be scrutinised.”
In the last 10 years, registered VOs and NGOs working in Orissa have received around Rs 1500 crore from foreign countries to implement various projects to aid multifaceted development of the state. VOs and NGOs are knwon to have received Rs 420.56 crore between 1999 and 2003 and Rs 990 crore between 2004 and 2009 as overseas funding. Most of the money came from England, US, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan to implement projects in the sectors of health, sanitation, education, food security and livelihood generation.
Organisations working in Sundargarh, Balasore, Sambalpur, Koraput, Nuapara, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Boudh, Puri and Cuttack districts received Rs 111.65 crore in 1999-2000, Rs 114.61 crore in 2000-01, Rs 107.61 crore in 2001-02 and Rs 87.67 crore in 2002-03, state government sources confirm. But ironically, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Nuapada and Nabarangpur have a very dismal HDI score. The 2007-2008 survey reveals that while Malkangiri and Boudh stand at the bottom on toilet facilities, only 1.7 per cent households have access to piped water in Kandhamal.
Development programmes launched by the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Orissa are not bearing much fruit. The situation becomes clear when one looks at the level of human development in the state. Orissa’s Human Development Index (HDI) ratings, the yardstick used to measure citizens’ access to knowledge, health, food and nutritional security, is at a nadir of 0.345. Families living below the poverty line (BPL) number over 40 lakh, a figure rising with each passing year. A survey in 1997 fixed the number of BPL families at 38 lakh. The figure jumped to 41.56 lakh in a 2002 survey. “Facts and figures clearly reveal that welfare projects are not implemented properly at the grassroots. Growth exists only on paper to appease bosses at the state secretariat,” remarks Panchanan Kanoongo, former finance minister of Orissa.
According to a survey in 2007-2008, over 80 per cent of households in 15 districts had a very low standard of living. It added that over 50 per cent households in 18 districts were BPL cardholders, the percentage being 60 in eight other districts.
While one is aware of the red tape and other bottlenecks in implementation of welfare programmes of the Centre or the state, it is time to examine the role of NGOs. “Administration at the grassroots is also riddled with corruption, favouritism and, very often, political intervention. But what happens to the efforts of 3,000-odd registered voluntary organisations (VOs) and NGOs working here,” asks senior journalist Ranjit Mohanty, who reports on the NGO sector in the state. Pramilla Mallick, minister of women and child development, says, “As per my knowledge, a minimum of two to three NGOs are working in each panchayat. If development is still not visible, then their activities should be scrutinised.”
In the last 10 years, registered VOs and NGOs working in Orissa have received around Rs 1500 crore from foreign countries to implement various projects to aid multifaceted development of the state. VOs and NGOs are knwon to have received Rs 420.56 crore between 1999 and 2003 and Rs 990 crore between 2004 and 2009 as overseas funding. Most of the money came from England, US, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan to implement projects in the sectors of health, sanitation, education, food security and livelihood generation.
Organisations working in Sundargarh, Balasore, Sambalpur, Koraput, Nuapara, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Boudh, Puri and Cuttack districts received Rs 111.65 crore in 1999-2000, Rs 114.61 crore in 2000-01, Rs 107.61 crore in 2001-02 and Rs 87.67 crore in 2002-03, state government sources confirm. But ironically, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Nuapada and Nabarangpur have a very dismal HDI score. The 2007-2008 survey reveals that while Malkangiri and Boudh stand at the bottom on toilet facilities, only 1.7 per cent households have access to piped water in Kandhamal.
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