Memorandum submitted by Dr G Eswaraiah,
Director (Research), Centre for Social Development, Andhra Pradesh,
India
I am an NGO Anthropologist since 20 years.
I did some research projects in rural areas and also some rural
action programmes. In implementing programmes in India, there
are problems with the location, people and population explosion,
land ,animal husbandry, vegetation and the project staff and related
govt staff. This is the reason for the failure of the social and
economic programmes in India since 1947. I do not know how the
International Agencies selected the project staff and their mentalities
but found they are not fit to implement the programmes in their
own country.
Most of the project staff and the related govt staff
do not sit in the academic libraries and read and take notes and
then go to the villages and project site for enrichment of the
admn. This is also the case of district officers and the district
collectors for whom the govt pays 80% of its income for the staff
, salaries, allowances, office expenses and family pensions. Many
times the govt draws bank overdrafts to pay salaries.
Even project staff (govt deputed staff) has to draw
and enjoy salaries and allowances from the projects such as APPEP,
DPEP, Watershed projects, DPIP (Velugu), APJFM/CFM, etc. Now these
projects have utterly failed to reach the people. But the govt
has to pay the debts borrowed. The grants, if borrowed, the donor
has suffered. This is the same problem with DWCRA projects, UNDP
projects, Frozen-semen technology (for dairy cattle,1970). There
is no fixed time(hours) for a staff to stay in the village (8
hrs/day) and discuss with public by group discussion, home-visits,
site visits and then make reports and submit them to the district
authorities for the upgradation of the admn. The corrupted staff
wants to administer the programmes by remote control with cheap
loans/subsidies since 1947. Much of the programme/treasury money
is being eaten away by the staff without visiting the villages.
But the updated research knowledge did not reach the secretaries,
and district collectors to upgrade skills. The salaries of the
staff (organised) was increased to 22 times since 1947 in India
but the income/wages of the remaining 90% of workers (unorganised)
did not increase so. But the staff and pensioners constitute only
10% of the total workers.
The GDP growth rates are enjoyed by these 10% workers
only. The NSSO poverty estimates did not mention yearlong debts,
migration, seasonal starvation and seasonal unemployment of the
surveyed families. The immediate problem to India is 95% unemployed
and underemployed youth due to illiteracy, less education (school
and college dropouts) and low merit. Govt is not helping for medical
aid to these unorganised workers' families to live longer years.
The birth control measures were not completed by
1970. The NGO social scientists were not called for service and
consultation in govt programmes and NGO donors programmes ( aided
by Foreign and India).
Now India has to depend on the mercy of imports and
debts/ grants. Microcredit did not help the poor in the villages
and slums, as they did not start IGAs. The concerned depts did
not keep alert and spend more time in villages, such animal husbandry,
banks, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, kichen garden experts,
etc. With 30% reservations for females in jobs in AP state men
turned unemployed, underemployed and are committing suicides.
These incidences will increase in due course. Because men have
to get the job and rule the family in these patriachal families.
Now India needs one lakh saplings per revenue village to conserve
soil and water. Every village needs a plant nursery for kichen
gardens, vegetative barriers, plantation on the vacant lands (private,
revenue and degraded forest lands). And the staff has to sit in
the programme site by 8 hrs/working day for public interaction
and programme report. It needs the active support of NGO scientists.
The people cannot depend on govt statistics, and election manifestos.
The deserted land in India needs faster greening. That is the
second green revolution. This is also the problem in 120 poor
nations. Jai Hind.
April 2004
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