Discontent over sharing of wealth as Chhattisgarh votes
CM PROMISES DEVELOPMENT IF HE WINS AGAIN, BUT OPPOSITION HAS MADE INROADS
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It is probably the term “resource curse” that best explains the present condition of Chhattisgarh, one of India’s most mineral-rich states.
The state goes to polls tomorrow and Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term, knows that his government has failed to match people’s expectations on the social development front while aggressively pursuing activities such as mining.
The Congress, meanwhile, which is the primary opposition party in the state, is eager to bridge the narrow margin in number of votes that have kept it away from power in the state for long.
Singh plans to focus on social development if he wins this time. But this promise probably means little for the people of the state, who continue to wait for the basic necessities of life. Journalists who travelled for nearly 2,400-kilometres across Chhattisgarh found that, in many places, even basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, education, health facilities and roads are still a luxury.
Social indices down
Five states are going to polls this month and the next — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram. Voting for the 90 seats in the Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases — tomorrow (for 18 seats) and on November 20 (for 72 seats).
Since the formation of the Chhattisgarh state, policymakers hoped it would lead to higher economic growth in the region. It did, and the growth was even faster than the national average at one point of time. However, the growth was driven largely by industries and its benefits have hardly reached the poor.
For instance, good roads are generally considered the first sign of development. In southern Chhattisgarh, the Maoistaffected Bastar and Dantewada region have smooth roads. But in Korba — the northern part of the state, which has largescale mining activity, the roads are in very bad shape.
Farmers in the region are unhappy with the chief minister. Sudesh Tikam, who leads the ‘Zila Kisan Sangh’ in Rajnandgaon area, said that the state government had failed to address concerns of farmers in the 15 years of its rule.
“The government is only focused on mining and power. Farmer issues are systematically ignored. In the last elections, Raman Singh had promised a minimum support price of Rs2,100 (Dh106) for the rice crop and a bonus of Rs300. But after winning, the promise was never fulfilled,” Tikam told Mongabay-India.
A farmer from Barsur, Keshav Prasad, who had travelled for about 25km to listen to Singh at the campaign meeting in Geedam, Dantewada, said: “This government has forgotten its promises.”