BASTAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN STA11B PLANNING BOARD, MA0H[YA PRADESH NIEPA DC SN1027 No. 3251/SPB/WG STATE PLANNING BOARD GOVERNMENT OF MADHYA PRADESH Bhopal, dated the 31.12.1984 R.C. Singh Deo, Chairman, Working Group, Bastar Development Plan, To The Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, BHOPAU .Sir, I forward herewith the report of the Working Group set up by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in Planning, Economics and Statistics Department by Notification No.50/81/23/P-2/83 dated 15th January, 1983, for preparing a separate development plan for Bastar district, 2. There has, indeed, been a delay which may appear in­ ordinate in the preparation of the Bastar Development Plan, but this was unavoidable for the reason that considerable time was taken in collecj:ing the statistical data needed for the preparation of s.uch a comprehensive district level plan. >. I like to place on record that but for the zeal and untiring efforts of Shri M.R. Sivaramanj Member-Secretary, state Planning Board, Shri L.S.U.P.B. Singh, Director of Economics and Statistics and Shri U.S. Trivedi, Adviser, state Planning Board, it would not have been possible to prepare this plan. My thanks are alsBO due to all ttie non­ officials and officials who gave thei.r valuable assistance and advice in the preparation of thisf plan. 4. I tak6 this opportunity to esxpress our gratitude to the Hon'ble Chief Minister for his; endearing interest in the development of tribal areas anid for providing all encouragement and facilities to us. 5. In conclusion, I would requesit the State Government to send this Development Plan of Basttar to the Planning Commission for study and consideratiOm for special assistance, Yojurs faithfully, . c • ( R.C. Singh CONTENTS Page No. Prologue i - vii I. The Setting 1-95 Bastar 1 Resources 31 People 64 I, Strategy 96 - 102 APPENDIX i - XV 5. Sectoral Plans, 103 - 426 Agriculture 103 Horticulture 138 Veterinary and Aniimal Husbandry 162 Fisheries" 192 Forest 206 Irrigation 223 Power 243 Cooperation " 260 Roads 289 Industry 317 Water Supply & Sanitation 352 Medical and Public Health 370 Education 395 Sectoral Plans - a Summary 426 4. Employment Qutlocsk 427 - 434 Bibliography 435 - 436 PROLOGUE The Government of Madhya Pradesh in the Planning, Economics and Statistics Department constituted vide Notification No. 50/81/23/ P2/83 dated 15th January, 1983 a Working Group under the State Plannin ! Board, for preparing a separate detailed Development Plan for Bastar district. The Working Group consisted of : 1. Shri R.C. Singh Deo, Chairman Member, State Planning Board, 2. Shri Raj Kumar Khanna, Member Member, State Planning Board, (Presently Chief Revenue Commissioner,) 3. Shri T.K. Srinivasan Member ^ Chairman, M.P.Electricity Board, 4. Shri M.R. Sivaraman, Member Secretary, Finance & Planning, 5. Director of Agriculture, Member 6. Director of Veterinary Services, Member 7. Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation, Member 8. Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department,Member 9. Engineer-in-Chief, Member Public Health Engineering, . 10. Shri L.S.U.P.B. Singh, Member Secretary Director of Economics and Statistics. 2*. Subsequently, the Secretary, Tribal Welfare Department and Principal Conservator of Forests were also nominated as members of the Working- Group. Besides, following, were co-opted as Meirtoers of the Working Group : 1. Commissioner of Industries, 2. Registrar, Co-operative Societies, 3. Director of public Health & Family Welfare, 4. Director of Medical Services, 11 5. Director of Horticulture, 6. Shri U.S. Trivedi, Adviser, State Planning Board. 3. The task of preparing a development Plan for Oastar proved challanging. The foremost question which presented itself before the Grpup related to the appropriate strategy and approach to the problems of the tribal people. The district is constituted of different tribes having considerable heterogenity in their socio-economic and cultural situations. The areas inhabited by different tribal communities diffei in topography, climate and accessibility. Their social habits, liveli­ hood patterns and cultural diversities have been determined by their diverse environment. The district is rich in natural resources but is inhabited by poor'people who are paradoxically contended nevertheless and thus making the decision with regard to the approach all the more difficult. Inter tribal community disparities relating, inter alia, to the size of the communities create another dimension with regard to the determination of developntent perspectives. Development hap to be poten- tised to lessen confrontation and increase social interaction. 4. We have observed that general developmental approaches are influenced strongly by a strong desire on the part of the developer to shape the lives of other people in the likeness of their own thus creating an atmosphere of intolerance for diversity. The life patterns of tribals are full of diversity among themselves as well as in relaticn to non-tribals. The late Prime Minister of India Shri Jawahar Lai Nehru observed, " I am not at all sure which is the better way of livingy the tribal or our own. In some respects I am quite certain theirs' is better... There is no point in trying to make of them a'second rate copy of ourselves". However, the best approach came from Mahatma Gandhi who always advised to approach the poor with the mind of the pocr. To reach the tribal effectively is to approach him with the mind of the tribal. Truly, those administrators including both Englishmen and Indians were best liked by the tribals of Bastar, who treated tribals as their equal and participated with them in the tribal spirit. The 113. fundamental ingredient of a proper approach is to reach out without pretentions of superiority. If only the mind of the tribal could be reached, the rest wouldl follow. It is, however, difficult to comprehenc the mind of the tribal without understanding him properly in his social and environmental contexts. 5. A development frame is nevertheless essential since tribals can not be left totally cut off any longer from the national mainstream. They cannot be cordoned off from the rest of us in a state of ignoranc and misery. ”It was true", to quote Jawahar Lai Nehru again, "that they could not be left cut off from the world as they were. Political and economic forces impinged upon them and it was not possible or desirable to isolate them. Equally undesirable, it seemed to me, was to allow these forces to function freely and upset their whole life and culture which had so much of good in them." Change is inevitable and it is desirable also. It has to be a part of total developmental strategy. However, the rate of change has to be gradual and smooth to ward off any cultural shock which is the product of greatly acceleratetl rate of change induced in a society. Cl^jange is a natural outcome of living iti and utilisation of an environment but induced change should be regulated in accordance with the cushion society could prodyce to stand the strain of change. Otherwise it will create, instead of progress, a state of disorientiation, frustration and confusion. The occurrerlce of such a phenomenon in , a tribal society will generate disti*ust towards develop(ii»nt process as well as development functiona­ ries. The great problerai is to develop a synthesis for bringing advaintage of modernJnowledge, research and technology ,without destroy­ ing the freedom and precious value system of the tribals. The deve­ lopment process should tjhen emerge from the tribal situations and exogenous inducement should be limited to the introduction and efficient functioning of catalytic agents capable of promoting growth. The aim should be to generate concrete material benefits to the tribals without any loss of their commurral dignity. The development frame, it was felt, should^ therefore, include programmes capable of providinq infrastructural base and improving the functioning of local economy with the help and cooperation of local tribal institutions. 6. It has to be recognised that the existing pattern of their living, their isolation, the grinding poverty, problems of their health and education are not simply unfortunate circumstances but stem out of a combination of th,eir physical surroundings and past policies followed through the centuries. The relation of the tribal with his land and forest has to be recognised and development strategy where progress is conceived to be increasingly brought by the poor themsel­ ves has to be adopted. This brings the tribal both as an individual and as a community to the fore and it is his all round development which only can bring real progress. Accordingly, it was felt that the indi­ vidual should be the central target of development. What is needed is to make the tribal individual capable of increasing productivity per unit of area and per unit of labour by improving and reorganising cultivation techniques and providing subsidiary economic activities to underemployed persons in farming activities. Economic reorganisation has to be based on the restoration of ecological balance, creating essential infrastructural base, and organising tribal communities for better management and marketing practices. 7. The major problem in Bastar is the inaccessibility of areas. The utter lack of road and rail communication in the district has re­ sulted in creating some areas completely inaccessible and others partially. Neutralisation of inaccessibility is an area of policy decision. Looking to the need of opening up of tribal areas for optimising the distribution of social services and production inputs it has'been felt that the district should be provided with a network of roEds. However, it hasto be ensured that the distinct identity of the tribals is not threatened and as such initially the interaction of tribals among themselves has to be encouraged. This can be made possible by providing road infrastructure in inaccessible areas.