Household survey to be conducted in 583 LWE-affected villages of Odisha

The Odisha government’s new programme, Gramodaya, aims to ensure that deprivation does not become rallying point for resurgence of Left-Wing Extremism in the State 

Although the influence of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) is waning, the Odisha government has pushed a significant welfare initiative to prevent deprivation from becoming a rallying point for its resurgence in the State.

The Mohan Majhi-led government is all set to conduct a baseline household survey to identify and bridge the gap in 583 LWE-affected villages under the new initiative - Gramodaya.

According to instructions issued to 10 of the State’s 30 districts, the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department said, “Standard formats have been developed for village and household survey by a composite team. The team will be constituted for each LWE-affected gram panchayat (GP) with concerned departmental officers as members.”

“One team for each GP will be formed and team formation should be completed by November 20,” the department emphasised. Orientation programmes will soon be organized for the teams. National Food Security Act data will form the basis for conducting individual household survey.

“The GP level team will visit each village and hamlet with formats and list of households for survey. The team will collect and record information from each household in the format by December 20,” it says. Supervisory officers have been asked to crosscheck the survey within the survey period and conduct sample verification of at least 10% of households.

After completion of survey, the GP level team will upload the collected information in Gramodaya digital platform which is being developed.

The Gramodaya programme was launched to bridge critical gaps in public infrastructure, services and livelihood to support the most LWE pockets of the State.

All villages within vicinity of five km from security camps or company operating bases in 10 districts such as Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir, Bargarh, Boudh, and Kandhamal will be covered in the programme.

These villages would be having all weather connectivity, adequate drinking water facility, solar street lights, playgrounds, fair price shops, school infrastructures with kitchen and toilet, availability of adequate number of teachers, health sub-centres with adequate staffs, ambulance and mobile health unity facilities, mini banks or micro ATMs and mobile network coverage.

Setting up of security camps and all weather helipads have also been proposed. These LWE-affected villages will be having coaching camps for Agniveer, paramilitary and police services.

Twenty-one departments of State administrations have been asked to ground identified facilities in these 583 villages. The State government has made budgetary provisions for Gramodaya programme. It has been clarified that if any relaxation is required in the eligibility criteria, efforts should be made to provide it and ensure that no family of targeted villages is left out from availing the benefits of the scheme.

The violence pertaining to LWE has come down significantly in Odisha. Of late, there has been hardly violence reported from southern Odisha districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, and Rayagada, which were once hotbeds for extremism. Now stray incidents are reported from districts like Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Boudh districts.

Published - November 15, 2024 07:28 pm IST