Uttarandhra: Wallowing in misery

The saying “Poverty amidst plenty” better explains the situation of the three districts of Uttarandhra. It is enviably placed in its natural resources like abundant rainfall, amazing river water, numerously spread minerals, long sea shore and dense forests. The miserable side, however, to it is that their fruits have not percolated down to the underprivileged sections of the society. These resources now gradually are easy prey to the wily corporate companies. Its result is utter poverty among farmers, peasants, tribals, dalits, fishermen, craftsmen. Hence Uttarandhra’s backwardness is now the issue that all the political parties join in one voice without reservations.

Srikrishna Committee reports as well as State Reorganization Act were unequivocal in their concern for the backwardness of the region. Indicators of backwardness In 2013-14, the average income of Srikakulam stood at 12th while Vizianagaram occupied 13th position in the State. Per capita income too is low. In the agricultural sector, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were at 11, 12 and 13 places respectively. In industrial and service sectors too, Srikakulam was at the 12th place and Vizianagaram at the 13th place.

Educational sector
According to 2011 census, in literacy, Vizianagaram came at the last and Srikakulam was 3rd from last. Visakhapatnam was at the 8th place. Except the literacy of Visakha town, rural literacy is below normal. Even today in Anantagiri and Munchingiputtu mandals literacy is below 30 per cent. In these three districts, literacy rate among tribals and women is quite deplorable and no apparent steps for amends are in place. The government contemplates now closure of a few existing schools and hostels. In the realm of rural literacy, East, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts average more than the State average and equal that of all-India. They have in their favour irrigation and other natural resources.

According to ‘Arts,’ a voluntary organisation, in a survey on the condition of 50 government schools, noted that 21 of them have no without drinking water facility, 42 have unused toilets for want of water and most do not have playground, boundary walls, teaching aids etc. Three-fourth of of State tribals live in Uttarandhra. Fishermen on the shore, keepers of lambs and goats, toddy, washer men and other workers need the help of children a lot. Hence they do not send children to schools. Add to this, recently the Central government has slightly unthrottled the child labor laws in existence since 30 years. Accordingly, dangerous industries, processes and professions that exclude entry of child labour have been reduced.

This new law allows children to help their parents in their profession or business outside the school hours and during holidays hoodwinking their studies and homework. Government’s educational policy is moving towards weakening the government schools which serve the needs of the poor very much. Opening additional schools to increase the sliding literacy rate is necessary. Erring teachers should be handed stern punishments. Basic amentias need to be provided. But steps in this direction are deplorably absent.

A few teachers are hence entrepreneurs and others are personal secretaries to ministers and MLAs and do not attend to their duties. The High Court’s recent dig at TS and AP States in this regard is a shot in the arm indeed. Schools and hostels have closed down due to the wrong policies of rulers, and children are forced to move to the far away schools and hostels. Children are victims to the prevalent wild justice. One of the prestigious universities in India, Andhra University has lost its past glory courtesy our rulers. It lacks bare minimum library and other amenities. The university now has only 400 teachers as against 1,200 it previously had. Of the Ambedkar University near Echerla, Srikakulam, the less we talk of it the better. Ninety five per cent of the teachers are contract type.

It is the same story with the PG centre established in Vizianagaram in 2005, and it is languishing due to funds scarcity. There has been no full-fledged special officer for the last five years. This institution which had 500 students in 2005-06 has now 70 or 80 students only. Government colleges too are no way different. In spite of crores of rupees being collected in the name of education cess, the plight of Uttarandhra education remains pitiable. Medical education is a grape far removed from the poor. Poorer is the technical education. Unemployment is rampant and job seekers with PG background are vying for posts of attender, police, conductor and other such jobs.

Maternal & infant mortality rates high
Mother and infant deaths, lower levels of immunity for want of nutritious diet, scarce medical facilities are forcing deaths even for small diseases. Medical and Family Welfare Commissioner announcement in 2012 had the following details. Women dying during delivery are the highest in the Uttarandhra districts only. Visakhapatnam tops in maternal deaths, and Vizianagaram and Srikakulam are at 3 and 4 places. Even the Anganwadi centres which are to supply nutritious food are being weakened by State government.

Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts occupy first and second places in infant deaths below one year age. Infant deaths trace to mothers ill-health and mothers’ deaths are due to insufficient nutritious food and bloodlessness. This has connection with backwardness in agriculture and economic deficiency. If the income moves up by development of industries and agriculture, people will grow in health.

Public health ailing

On the other hand, the public health sector is worsening. Like education sector, it its doors are also thrown wide open to private people. Deficient supply of medicines, equipment, doctors, staff and other facilities greet patients here. Now the government is contemplating to hand over the premier health centre like KGH to the private sector. The newly sanctioned hospital in Vizianagaram has been given to the private MANSAS organisation. RIMS of Srikakulam too is faced with severe doctors crunch. Even those doctors are posted to VIMS in Visakha areleaving patients in a quandary.

People of Uttarandhra are very poor, and about 40% are tribals, craftsmen and dalits. The remaining are farmers. In the absence of a quality treatment in government hospitals and inadequate number of doctors, for those who cannot afford private hospitals, death seems the only sanctuary. Shameful yet true that there still remain tribal villages for which safe drinking water is still a dream, in spite of septuagenarian existence of independent India and despite lakhs of rupees being spent in the name of tribal development. Water-borne kidney diseases are on the rise in Udhanam of Srikakulam district. In the forest segment, afflicted by seasonal diseases like malaria, dengue, people are experiencing real hell.
Tribal rights a far cry

Tribal security does not find a mention in the Fifth Schedule of Constitution of India. Tripura is the only example for protection of the rights of tribals and their laws. There their languages, traditions and culture are in the safe hands of law. The State has arranged tribal areas into self-governed domains and provided for a wide range of decision-making rights, empowering Panchayats according to laws of PESA. Uttarandhra scheduled areas too require a place in the Sixth Schedule of Constitution and thereby deserve the status of self-governing districts. Visakha and Vizianagaram agency and rural areas deserve a great rejig in its affairs and the moot idea is promotion of government medical colleges here for better government health services. (Ramakrishna Rao is a retired Professor of AU Campus, Vizianagaram, and Venugopala Rao, a Lecturer at MR College, Vizianagaram)

By Prof B Ramakrishna Rao & Dr B Venugopala Rao