Koshal Vs Odisha

Odisha's major problem is that we don't have good leader. I love Biju patnaik but after that no one such kind of leader emerge in odisha,yes not also Naveen patnaik.

The most tragic scene is, most dumbest leader are emerge from koshal area itself. We are fighting among ourselves. One sambalpuria can't bear the statement of the people of Bolangir. Bargarh is acting like a inert gas. Bargarh itself born the leader like Prasanna Acharya, Anada Acharya. What they gave to Bargarh,after rulling almost 2terms.

Next come to the famous Singhdeo dynasty of Bolangir. After rulling almost 30years, what they did just put the name of Bolangir on the list of KBK.

Our opposition leader don't found any kind of loop hole in rulling party. Neither they have any chance to get bounce back on upcoming election.

Koshal state is inevitable because of variety of reasons but primarily because it is in accord with emerging trends. It is begining to be evident bigger states do not necessarily better management of resources, especially human resource.

Fear that Koshal and Odisha will be further disadvantaged once separated simply do not hold water. Both MP and Chhattisgarh are better off after separation. Bihar is on mend under Nitish Kumar after separating from Jharkhand; it is concentrating on overall development of the state, particularly on human resource now that it can not depend on easy money obtained from mining operations in Jharkhand.

Even Uttaranchal is beginning to show progress concentrating on its own resources which remained untapped when it remained with UP. Sure they are going through teething problems, but on the whole all these new entities are on the mend.

In the case of Odisha and Koshal, several studies done since its inception suggest that inter regional variance is increasing, and the gaps are getting bigger with no sign of abetting. There is no sense of urgency or inclination to reverse this trend.

Koshal is emerging as the most polluted part of Orissa. KBK area is languishing for decades even after alarm bell had been sounded decades ago. Odisha government has no mining policy yet mining is going on in full spate for much of the last century.

Even if humongous amount of mineral resources is known to be stolen away, and is being stolen away, Odisha government steadfastly opposing any CBI enquiry even though its own government apparatus is incapable in stopping the loot.

The irony is that proceeds from these operations did not improve the lots of Odisha and it is locked in the bottom of literacy and wealth ladder.We have been in the resource trap all these decades, and unfortunately lives of people who are effected by these mining operations is degrading in all measures. Not that all areas of Odisha are languishing. It is as if the sixty mile zone surrounding Bhubaneswar is where all the proceeds of Odisha is being dumped with Koshal and South Orissa remaining in the rain shadow area. Worst part of it all is that a nexus has developed in that sixty mile zone which thinks that area alone needs to be developed. Ironically, that nexus consisting primarily of senior bureaucrats(working and retired) and academics of coastal area, is unofficially determining the shape of destiny of Odisha, and is immune from political engagement.

Odisha government has lost touch with people beyond this sixty mile zone. Our Adivashi population, who constitute nearly a fourth of population, have been singularly impacted from such deliberate neglect.

More recently, the government has turned hostile towards this population. Unfortunately, both Koshal and South Orissa contain the bulk of this population.

But Koshal should not be a separate state because of a protest movement. The daunting task of Koshal state will be how to prepare the state for twenty first century, and align itself to overall growth and main stream of India.

Key to this is single minded focus on human resource development and create an ambiance of trust between people and the government.We have to learn from the blunders of Odisha, which made it dysfunctional.

All state resources must be equitably distributed across the regions. Overcentrilisation of state institutions and deployment of resources in a small part have been the main fault lines of Odisha; these must be avoided.

Policies and procedures must be established to institute decentrilisation based upon proximity,accessibility and pragmatics.

We simply can not afford to marginalise a huge chunk of population and expect progress. The Adivashi population is integral part of the state, and is a source of our strength.