Paradigm Shift in Development: Once an Example of Poverty, Kalahandi Today Tops in Reducing Poverty

Kalahandi: Once known as one of the most backward districts laced with poverty and hunger, Kalahandi today is a symbol of reflections of a paradigm shift and development. With all round development and progress penetrating into the interior regions of the district, Kalahandi today has become a model of good governance and transformation thereby topping in poverty reduction and hunger eradication in the country.

Leaving behind the notoriety of being the most backward districts of India with hunger, poverty and underdevelopment, Kalahandi today has found a place in the most successful districts in the whole country.

The latest report published by the country’s chief planning body – the NITI Aayog, says that Kalahandi has the distinction of being on the top in poverty alleviation in Odisha. According to the report, about 28 percent of the people of the district have been brought out of poverty. It has even left behind many of the districts of coastal Odisha in poverty reduction. And behind this incredible achievement, lays the successful implementation of various welfare schemes of the state government.

The successful interventions by the Government of Odisha have played a major role. This rare achievement constitutes one of the best examples of the commitment of the Government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Kalahandi has always been in the limelight as one of the most underdeveloped and backward districts of Western Odisha. There was a time when stories of people going hungry for days without food have made national media headlines.

Starvation deaths of Kalahandi have been a topic of discussion in the past all across the world. But now all that is bygone era. The district has been in the special focus of the Naveen Patnaik Government. The district, which was neglected for half a century after independence, has been undergoing a new era of development in the last 23 years. In particular, thousands of acres of agriculture land in the district was lying fallow due to lack of water, forcing people to turn their backs on agriculture.
Now that is no longer the case.

More than 77,000 hectares of land has been irrigated by the Indravati irrigation project in the district, and lakhs of hectares of land in the district have turned green due to multiple irrigation projects on the Tel and Hati rivers. Once a famine affected district, Kalahandi district is now second in the state in paddy production. Similarly, the district has been occupying the foremost position in cotton production. Not only that, but also the district tops the state in fish production too. Importantly, Kalahandi plays a major role as the State has been consistently awarded the best agricultural award – the Krishi Karman Award, for food grains production. However, behind this remarkable achievement is the successful implementation of over two dozen welfare schemes by the Odisha government. It has many schemes like the BRGF for poverty alleviation. Similarly, the successful implementation of multi-stakeholder schemes and infrastructural development programs like the Biju Swasthya Kalyana Yojana, Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana, One rupee Rice scheme, implementation of 5T Initiatives and Mo Sarkar etc., have been particularly effective.

By connecting all the inaccessible areas through Biju Expressway and other state Highways today farmers have got the opportunity to market their produce properly. One of the most important things is that Mission Shakti has also played a pivotal role in bringing underdeveloped districts like Kalahandi to the top level of prosperity. Lakhs of women in the district have become self-reliant through Mission Shakti, while thousands of women have become successful entrepreneurs lifting their families from financial burden and bringing smiles to everyone’s face.

Behind the successful implementation of all these schemes, the vision and continuous efforts of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the tireless work of 5T Secretary VK Pandian cannot be ignored. The 5T Secretary has been continuously visiting the district and reviewing the various efforts of the government so that the development of the district continues and Kalahandi remains an example for the whole country.