KBK REGION SHOULD GET SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL PACKAGE.

[Jibanendra Mahanty]

Dear All,
 
Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal  have made significant progress on Industrialization during the last few years, via the Special Industrial Package provided by the Government of India. Most of the Industries set up in recent times  are in  Manufacturing/Engineering/ Agro-products/ Drugs & Pharmaceuticals/ Computer Hardware, etc  not dependent upon mining operations.  The high lights of these Industries are  a) they need small land parcels i.e.  areas of 1 to 10 acres, b) they provide  employment ranging from 50 to 1000 persons/unit.  These Industries do not need mining operation, do not need  high  water consumption nor do they create  major problem for Ecology and Environment. These Industries have made significant impact on the  employment & economic front and on  all round development of the States.
 
 The existing  special  package is valid up to end of 2010 and the States have already started lobbying for extension of the said package up to 2020.
 
Now the Question is why such special Industrial package is not being provided  for the KBK region of Odisha??  Are we a victim of step motherly attitude of the Centre ?  KBK region is by far, the most backward and the poorest region of the Country. Himachal and Uttaranchal are much developed and economically far better off than the KBK region. Indeed, the KBK region should have received the Special Industrial Package much before providing the same to HP and  Uttaranchal.
 
If the Central Government is truly sincere about implementation of their much hyped "Inclusive Growth"  slogan  then the Centre should have provided the Special Package to KBK region first, before considering  any other region/State. But it is not the case.
 
I understand the  Prime Minister ( during his visit to BBSR on the 27th Dec'09)  has accepted  an Invitation  from the  State's Congress Leaders, to visit  KBK region in the near future. It is imperative that  the State's Political Leaders take pre-emptive action and submit a detailed Memorandum on the development of KBK region including a proposal for providing Special Industrial Package to the region; for a meaningful  discussion on the subject during the PM's visit.
 
OTN may forward the request to the leading Political parties of the State.
 
 
J.N.Mahanty

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[Sandip Dasverma]

Dear Jibanendra babu:

The first action should be relocating the HQ of Special Additional Chief Secretary's office created more than 20 years back to the KBK area. That way the development will be fast and wholesome, because the lack of development will be faced by the babudom.

Best wishes,

Sandip
 

Sandip K.Dasverma
2500 G. W. Way
Richland,
WA - 99354

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From: Jibanendra Mahanty <jn...@hotmail.com>
To: Orissa Today <oriss...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sun, December 27, 2009 6:34:39 PM
Subject: OTN: KBK REGION SHOULD GET SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL PACKAGE.

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[Acn...@aol.com]

Both Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are closer to New Delhi. Because they area part of the Hindi belt they have easy access to private money. Above all else, it was the  desire to bring development  into neglected areas of U.P. that created these States. Orissa was created to save Oriya culture and language!

 

  Any company -whether it is a pharmaceutical  company, manufacturing company or a newspaper publishing company -  invests its capital not by a sense of altruism but by a strong possibility of earning a profit. Since noone is coming to invest money in the KBK area - as Mr. Mohanty seems to suggest - then local people should pull their resources together  to build  sources of employment for themselves. It wouldn't be much. But it would be a start.

It is easier said than done. Bringing people together to do anything means  working with them for years. 20 years have already been wasted. A few more years of  working among them would not make much difference.

If companies involved in making agricultural, pharmaceutical and engineering products  or computer chips come to Kandhamal or Baliguda, it is fine. They are not coming. And they will not come because they do not see any " profit" dangling before them. And a solution does not lie in the eternal comparison of KBK with other prosperous areas.

No matter what model of development one follows, the  people who live in the area have to be involved to change their own lot. Ana a lot more can be written about  this.

                                                                         Anadi Naik

[Jibanendra Mahanty]

 The  basic issue is to  fight for special Incentive Package ( similar to those available  for Himachal and Uttaranchal) for the industrialization of KBK region. The fact that the  KBK region is  very backward and unable to attract Investors of its own,  augurs well to fight for a  special package for the "Inclusive Growth" of the region.
 
Incidentally, Himachal was not a part of UP and achieved  full fledged statehood  in 1971. Both  HP and Uttaranchal remained industrially backward, till the beginning of this century, when the Special Industrial Package  provided by the Centre  attracted Investors  mostly from  Gujarat, Maharastra,  Punjab, Goa  to set up Units ( not dependent on mining) in this region. MNCs  in Computer Hardware  and Engineering Companies  like Kirby, USA  ( pioneer in  Pre-engineered Buildings)  have also set up units  in these States taking advantage of special package.
 
As Odisha state in general  and KBK region in particular are unable to  create investment for  India's most backward region, it is the duty of our Political Leaders to take up the Issue strongly with the Central Govt  for the  sanction of  the special package, which will act as prime mover for the Industrialization ( Mining sector  to be excused )  of this very neglected  region of the Country.
 
 
J.N.Mahanty
 
 

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From: Acn...@aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:29:37 -0500
Subject: Re: OTN: KBK REGION SHOULD GET SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL PACKAGE.
To: oriss...@googlegroups.com

[acn...@aol.com]

 

 

In a message dated 12/28/2009 11:00:48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jn...@hotmail.com writes:

As Odisha state in general  and KBK region in particular are unable to  create investment for  India's most backward region, it is the duty of our Political Leaders to take up the Issue strongly with the Central Govt 

 

As far as political leaders  are concerned , they can take the issue only so far! Let us be real.

 Orissa's political clout in New Delhi  right now is not very strong. As the Center and the State are represented by two different Parties, things are not always cozy. Under various programs the Center can offer tax credits, lower interest rates and so on. But the actual work - investment and execution of projects under economic liberalization - has to be done  by someone other than the Government. That is not happening and there are many reasons  for it.

Those who seriously believe that an  underdeveloped  area like KBK  needs help, they should help the people living in those areas. Because they are the ones who have to gain or lose the most.

It is sad to say that the Naxalites are bringing this  awareness to the local Adivasis and gaining strength from them. While we are debating about industrial developments of high order and Government's participation in important ways, we are  not taking into consideration as to what impact all of this would make on the lives of the local people. Has anyone bothered to ask  them what they want and how they want to achieve their goal?

I have no dispute with bringing of  industries and projects to the KBK area . All I am saying is that the local people should  be a part of the decision making. If we are talking about the development of a given area, then those who live there must have  an input. The ideas are coming from IAS officers in New Delhi or Bhubaneswar.  The ideas  are wonderful  but they rarely take off.  More often than not they run against the interests of the locals.

Anybody who speaks strongly against the present structure, is branded as a " Naxalite"  That also compounds the problem. 

 

                                Anadi Naik