Introduction:
* SEZ is a geographically bound zone where the economic laws in matters related to export and import are more liberal than rest of the country.
* SEZs are projected as duty free area for the purpose of trade, operations, duty and tariffs.
* SEZ units are self-contained and integrated having their own infrastructure and support services.
* Units may be set-up for the manufacture of goods and other activities including processing, assembling, trading, repairing, reconditioning, making of gold/silver, platinum jewellery etc.
* SEZ units are deemed to be outside the customs territory of India.
* Since the SEZ policy was announced in 2000, 576 formal approvals have been granted for setting up of such enclaves, out of which 392 SEZs have been notified. Only 170 are operational
* SEZs were supposed to be areas where government provides state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure facility. However, later they were left to private developers
* Unlike china which developed infrastructure, India opted to license a large number of SEZs without ensuring proper infrastructure outside the zones.
Features:
* It is an export processing zone.
* SEZ Act was enacted in 2005, and was passed by Parliament in May 2005.
* It provides a comprehensive policy framework to satisfy the requirements of all principal stakeholders in an SEZ the developer and operator, occupant enterprise, out zone supplier and residents.
* Previously the policy relating to the EPZs/ SEZs was in Foreign Trade Policy while incentives and other facilities were implemented through various notifications and circulars issued by the concerned ministries/departments which were not able to deliver confidence in investors.
* It provides expeditious and single window clearance mechanisms.
* It is a tax haven for exporters
Working:
* The SEZ Act 2005 is mainly divided into 7 different chapters and 3 schedules.
* Board of approval constituted by the central government promotes and ensures orderly development of SEZs
* Central government may set up a zone, proposals of the state governments and private developers are to be screened and approved by the board.
* At the zone level, approval committees are constituted to approve/reject/modify proposals for setting up SEZ units.
* Development Commissioner (DC) and his/her office are responsible for exercising administrative control over a zone.
SEZ act deals with following:
* Establishment of the SEZ and the various authorities constituted in this connection.
* Appointment of the Developer, Co-developers and approval for units to be located in the notified area.
* Exemptions, drawbacks and concessions including exemptions from customs duty (on goods brought into or exported from the SEZ), excise, service tax, securities transaction tax, sales tax and income tax.
* Offshore Banking Unit & International Financial Services Centre. Setting up of offshore banking units / International Financial Services Centre in SEZs.
* Notified Offences & Civil Suits. A single enforcement agency/officer for certain notified offences as well as the designation of courts by the state governments for such offences committed in and for civil suits arising in SEZs.
Role of State Government in Establishment of SEZ Units:
* Proposal for setting up of SEZ unit in the Private / Joint / State Sector is routed through the concerned State government who in turn forwards the same to the Department of Commerce with its recommendations for consideration.
* States Government properly checks all the necessary inputs such as water, electricity, etc required for the establishment of SEZ units.
Incentives offered:
* Exemption from custom duties, central excise duties, service tax, central sales taxes and securities transaction tax to both the developers and the units;
* Tax holidays for 15 years (currently the units enjoy a seven year tax holiday), i e, 100 per cent tax exemption for 5 years, 50 per cent for the next five years, and 50 per cent of the ploughed back export profits for the next five years1; and
* 100 per cent income tax exemption for 10 years in a block period of 15 years for SEZ developers.
Problems/hurdles:
* The Central Government treated domestic supplies as imports into India and applicable customs duties were levied. SEZs would have to pay full duty if they sell goods in the DTA (or domestic market), SAD exemption is only available to domestic supplies in the nature of stock transfers.
* Free Trade Agreements entered by India with various countries, allowing domestic importers to import goods from these countries at concessional duties vis--vis the standard duties applicable on procurements from SEZ
* Land acquisition problems as farmers unwilling to give their land. No full approval before 90% land acquisition
* Imposition of minimum alternate tax (MAT), dividend distribution tax (DDT) in 2011 and certain provisions in the proposed direct tax code (DTC) regime as well as global demand slowdown
* Protests, some time wild protests by farmers. And also Land mafia are using the SEZs to carve up huge chunks of overpriced real estate.
* Many countries impose countervailing duties to negate direct tax subsidies, which reduces the competitiveness of exports from such enclaves. So far, 33 countervailing duty measures have been slapped on against India, second only behind China (42).
* 75 per cent of the area in an SEZ comes under the non-processing category and is freely available for developers. As a result, several multi-product SEZs have come up with proposals to develop complete townships adjoining the major cities with residential and recreational areas with facilities like entertainment complexes, multiplexes, golf courses, educational institutions, hospitals and so on.
* CBEC had estimated an overall revenue loss of Rs 3,50,000 crores involved in the creation of all SEZs since 2006.
SEZ controversies:
Agricultural land is a very sensitive issue in India and the introduction of SEZ in India has resulted in the dispossession of agricultural land and has affected the livelihood of farmer at large. At first farmers protested to safeguard their interests through litigation and court cases challenging the establishment of SEZs. But later on, the resistance against SEZ in India became massive when political parties also joined the farmers.
1. Jamnagar Incidence:
In November 2006, farmers of Jamnagar in Gujarat moved to Supreme Court to challenge setting-up of a 10,000-acre (approx. 4,000-ha) SEZ by Reliance Infrastructure. They claimed that the acquisition of large tracts of agricultural land in the villages of the district violated the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, but was also in breach of the public interest.
1. Nandi gram Violence:
In 2007 the West Bengal government decided to allow Salim Group to set up a chemical hub at Nandi gram under the SEZ policy. Farmers of that village were against it. So, on the order of the Left Front government on 14 March, 2007, more than 3,000 heavily armed police stormed the Nandi gram area. The main objective was to remove the protestors in order to expropriate 10,000 acres of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by the Indonesian-based Salim Group. During this incidence, police shot dead at least 14 villagers and wounded 70 more including children and women.
Protests made the Government to consider putting a ceiling on the maximum land area that can be acquired for multi-product zones and decide to go slow in approving SEZs.No doubts that these commercial hubs started with a lot of premature praise and have now became a bone of contention which is readily exploited by the political forces to the detriment of the peasants, who fear losing their means of livelihood.
Latest developments:
* Proposing a tax structure under which the duty forgone towards sale of products in domestic tariff area (DTA) could be recovered once the situation improves.
* The compensation for land acquired has been enhanced by four times in rural areas and two times in urban areas.
* CBEC has recommended that the SEZ Act should make it mandatory to earmark at least 75 per cent of the area in an SEZ for import and export processing.
Bibliography:
* 1http://www.eximguru.com/exim/special_economic_zone_sez/ch_7_sez_act_2005.aspx
* http://www.eximguru.com/exim/special_economic_zone_sez/ch_11_sez_controversy.aspx
* http://www.livemint.com/Politics/pZ1V1BKitKNV1tzWqIIShL/Study-lists-why-Indias-special-economic-zones-policy-didnt.html
* http://www.zcommunications.org/india-s-special-economic-zones-by-sriram-ananthanarayanan.html
* http://ieport.blogspot.com/2010/01/sez-act-needs-overhaul-cbec.html
* http://ieport.blogspot.com/2010/01/ministry-proposes-changes-in-sez-rules.html
Address:
Anurag Ramkumar Mishra
Showing posts with label SEZ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SEZ. Show all posts
Monday, January 13, 2014
Some Important government schemes and their analysis
1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2006)
Features:
* Guarantee of hundred days employment yearly unskilled manual work.
* Statutory minimum wage - Rs. 122 - 191/day depending on states, weekly payment.
* Main implementation agency is gram panchayat
* At least one third workers should be women.
* Disbursement of wages through DBT scheme.
Works permissible:
List exhaustive but not limited to , # Water conservation and water harvesting,# drought proofing, # irrigation canals, # land development, # flood control and protection, #rural connectivity to provide all weather access, agriculture related works, # livestock related works, # rural drinking water and sanitation related works etc.
Pros:
* Increase in rural household income
* Decrease in migration due to unemployment up to some extent
* Rural empowerment (specially female, creation of SHGs)
* Resource and asset creation(roads, ponds, canals,
* Generation of many jobs
* Creation of basic facilities in rural areas
Cons:
* Increase in corrupt activities as payment was being managed previously by local bodies.
* Lack of durable asset creation (un-skilled workers and lower durability of work done)
* No uniform policy of government, hurdles in payment as it is jointly shared by center and states
* Lack of farmers during harvesting season due to which agriculture gets affected
* Poor Redressal mechanism.
* Due to high fiscal deficit, financing MNREGA becomes difficult.
* 30% panchayats dont make annual development plans
Possible solutions:
* Addressing shortage of staff at every level
* More improved guidelines to panchayat to make annual development plans
* Awareness programmes for beneficiaries
* Working according to rules to maintain transparency
* Multi level inspection and field visit plans
2. Special Economic zones Act(2005)
Features:
* It is an export processing zone.
* SEZ Act was enacted in 2005, and was passed by Parliament in May 2005.
* It provides a comprehensive policy framework to satisfy the requirements of all principal stakeholders in an SEZ the developer and operator, occupant enterprise, out zone supplier and residents.
* Previously the policy relating to the EPZs/ SEZs was in Foreign Trade Policy while incentives and other facilities were implemented through various notifications and circulars issued by the concerned ministries/departments which were not able to deliver confidence in investors.
* It provides expeditious and single window clearance mechanisms.
* It is a tax haven for exporters
Working:
* The SEZ Act 2005 is mainly divided into 7 different chapters and 3 schedules.
* Board of approval constituted by the central government promotes and ensures orderly development of SEZs
* Central government may set up a zone, proposals of the state governments and private developers are to be screened and approved by the board.
* At the zone level, approval committees are constituted to approve/reject/modify proposals for setting up SEZ units.
* Development Commissioner (DC) and his/her office is responsible for exercising administrative control over a zone.
SEZ act deals with following:
* Establishment of the SEZ and the various authorities constituted in this connection.
* Appointment of the Developer, Co-developers and approval for units to be located in the notified area.
* Exemptions, drawbacks and concessions including exemptions from customs duty (on goods brought into or exported from the SEZ), excise, service tax, securities transaction tax, sales tax and income tax.
* Offshore Banking Unit & International Financial Services Centre. Setting up of offshore banking units / International Financial Services Centre in SEZs.
* Notified Offences & Civil Suits. A single enforcement agency/officer for certain notified offences as well as the designation of courts by the state governments for such offences committed in and for civil suits arising in SEZs.
Incentives offered:
* Exemption from custom duties, central excise duties, service tax, central sales taxes and securities transaction tax to both the developers and the units;
* Tax holidays for 15 years (currently the units enjoy a seven year tax holiday), i e, 100 per cent tax exemption for 5 years, 50 per cent for the next five years, and 50 per cent of the ploughed back export profits for the next five years1; and
* 100 per cent income tax exemption for 10 years in a block period of 15 years for SEZ developers.
Problems/hurdles:
* The Central Government treated domestic supplies as imports into India and applicable customs duties were levied.
* State governments treated such domestic supplies as domestic sales liable to VAT/ CST (Central Sales Tax).
* SAD exemption is only available to domestic supplies in the nature of stock transfers.
* SEZ units also face a stiff challenge to compete in the domestic market due to the Free Trade Agreements entered by India with various countries, allowing domestic importers to import goods from these countries at concessional duties vis--vis the standard duties applicable on procurements from SEZ
* At many places plans are just on paper, delay in materialising the scheme on real grounds
* Land acquisition problems as farmers unwilling to give their land.
* No full approval before 90% land acquisition
2. Integrated child development scheme
One of the worlds largest and most unique programmes for early childhood development , launched on 2ndOctober 1975. Providing pre-school education and countering malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality.
Objectives:
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme was launched in 1975 with the following objectives:
* To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years;
* To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child;
* To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout;
* To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
* To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.
Services:
* Supplementary nutrition,
* Immunization,
* Health check-up,
* Referral services,
* Pre-school non-formal education and
* Nutrition & health education.
Concerned authorities:
* Immunisation, Health Check-up and Referral Services delivered through Public Health Infrastructure under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
* Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has the overall responsibility of monitoring the ICDS scheme.
Funding:
* In funding in respect of supplementary nutrition North-eastern States between Centre and States is 90:10 ratios.
* Other States and UTs, the sharing pattern is of 50:50.
* For all other components of ICDS, the ratio has been modified to 90:10(100% Central Assistance earlier).
The ICDS team:
It comprises the Anganwadi Workers, Anganwadi Helpers, Supervisors, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and District Programme Officers (DPOs). Anganwadi Worker, a lady selected from the local community, is a community based frontline honorary worker of the ICDS Programme. She is also an agent of social change, mobilizing community support for better care of young children, girls and women. Besides, the medical officers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) form a team with the ICDS functionaries to achieve convergence of different services.
Problems:
* The AWC is a point where both demand is created and services are delivered. The study found that AWC network has not fully succeeded in meeting either of its two objectives.
* No toilets at more than 45% ICDS centres
* Shortage of staff/many vacant posts
* Not enough resource provided/supplied on time
* Not good infrastructure facilities or workspaces
* Not achieving its desired result(one in 3 child in Gujarat is facing malnutrition/is underweight)
* Timely follow up and scrutiny not done strictly
* Less awareness due to somewhat ineffective communication between beneficiaries and authorities
* Big shortfall in providing Supplementary Nutrition
Possible solutions:
* Creating awareness among beneficiaries
* Proper control and scrutiny plans and monitoring plans
* More involvement of panchayat to properly monitor and facilitate scheme
* Creating enough infrastructure facilities to cater demands
* Proper sanitation facilities
* Better training of employees to make them more effective in delivering desired services
* As children are future of nation so this is very important scheme for national development so vacant positions should be filled and adequate materials should be provided because only healthy India can be wealthy and prosperous India.
Anurag Mishra
ref
1. http://www.eximguru.com/exim/special_economic_zone_sez/ch_7_sez_act_2005.aspx
2. http://wcd.nic.in/icds.htm
3. http://www.childlineindia.org.in/Integrated-Child-Development-Scheme-ICDS.htm
4. http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/peoreport/peo/peo_icds.pdf
5. http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/India/Every-third-child-in-Gujarat-is-underweight-CAG/Article1-1131138.aspx
Features:
* Guarantee of hundred days employment yearly unskilled manual work.
* Statutory minimum wage - Rs. 122 - 191/day depending on states, weekly payment.
* Main implementation agency is gram panchayat
* At least one third workers should be women.
* Disbursement of wages through DBT scheme.
Works permissible:
List exhaustive but not limited to , # Water conservation and water harvesting,# drought proofing, # irrigation canals, # land development, # flood control and protection, #rural connectivity to provide all weather access, agriculture related works, # livestock related works, # rural drinking water and sanitation related works etc.
Pros:
* Increase in rural household income
* Decrease in migration due to unemployment up to some extent
* Rural empowerment (specially female, creation of SHGs)
* Resource and asset creation(roads, ponds, canals,
* Generation of many jobs
* Creation of basic facilities in rural areas
Cons:
* Increase in corrupt activities as payment was being managed previously by local bodies.
* Lack of durable asset creation (un-skilled workers and lower durability of work done)
* No uniform policy of government, hurdles in payment as it is jointly shared by center and states
* Lack of farmers during harvesting season due to which agriculture gets affected
* Poor Redressal mechanism.
* Due to high fiscal deficit, financing MNREGA becomes difficult.
* 30% panchayats dont make annual development plans
Possible solutions:
* Addressing shortage of staff at every level
* More improved guidelines to panchayat to make annual development plans
* Awareness programmes for beneficiaries
* Working according to rules to maintain transparency
* Multi level inspection and field visit plans
2. Special Economic zones Act(2005)
Features:
* It is an export processing zone.
* SEZ Act was enacted in 2005, and was passed by Parliament in May 2005.
* It provides a comprehensive policy framework to satisfy the requirements of all principal stakeholders in an SEZ the developer and operator, occupant enterprise, out zone supplier and residents.
* Previously the policy relating to the EPZs/ SEZs was in Foreign Trade Policy while incentives and other facilities were implemented through various notifications and circulars issued by the concerned ministries/departments which were not able to deliver confidence in investors.
* It provides expeditious and single window clearance mechanisms.
* It is a tax haven for exporters
Working:
* The SEZ Act 2005 is mainly divided into 7 different chapters and 3 schedules.
* Board of approval constituted by the central government promotes and ensures orderly development of SEZs
* Central government may set up a zone, proposals of the state governments and private developers are to be screened and approved by the board.
* At the zone level, approval committees are constituted to approve/reject/modify proposals for setting up SEZ units.
* Development Commissioner (DC) and his/her office is responsible for exercising administrative control over a zone.
SEZ act deals with following:
* Establishment of the SEZ and the various authorities constituted in this connection.
* Appointment of the Developer, Co-developers and approval for units to be located in the notified area.
* Exemptions, drawbacks and concessions including exemptions from customs duty (on goods brought into or exported from the SEZ), excise, service tax, securities transaction tax, sales tax and income tax.
* Offshore Banking Unit & International Financial Services Centre. Setting up of offshore banking units / International Financial Services Centre in SEZs.
* Notified Offences & Civil Suits. A single enforcement agency/officer for certain notified offences as well as the designation of courts by the state governments for such offences committed in and for civil suits arising in SEZs.
Incentives offered:
* Exemption from custom duties, central excise duties, service tax, central sales taxes and securities transaction tax to both the developers and the units;
* Tax holidays for 15 years (currently the units enjoy a seven year tax holiday), i e, 100 per cent tax exemption for 5 years, 50 per cent for the next five years, and 50 per cent of the ploughed back export profits for the next five years1; and
* 100 per cent income tax exemption for 10 years in a block period of 15 years for SEZ developers.
Problems/hurdles:
* The Central Government treated domestic supplies as imports into India and applicable customs duties were levied.
* State governments treated such domestic supplies as domestic sales liable to VAT/ CST (Central Sales Tax).
* SAD exemption is only available to domestic supplies in the nature of stock transfers.
* SEZ units also face a stiff challenge to compete in the domestic market due to the Free Trade Agreements entered by India with various countries, allowing domestic importers to import goods from these countries at concessional duties vis--vis the standard duties applicable on procurements from SEZ
* At many places plans are just on paper, delay in materialising the scheme on real grounds
* Land acquisition problems as farmers unwilling to give their land.
* No full approval before 90% land acquisition
2. Integrated child development scheme
One of the worlds largest and most unique programmes for early childhood development , launched on 2ndOctober 1975. Providing pre-school education and countering malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality.
Objectives:
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme was launched in 1975 with the following objectives:
* To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years;
* To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child;
* To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout;
* To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
* To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.
Services:
* Supplementary nutrition,
* Immunization,
* Health check-up,
* Referral services,
* Pre-school non-formal education and
* Nutrition & health education.
Concerned authorities:
* Immunisation, Health Check-up and Referral Services delivered through Public Health Infrastructure under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
* Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has the overall responsibility of monitoring the ICDS scheme.
Funding:
* In funding in respect of supplementary nutrition North-eastern States between Centre and States is 90:10 ratios.
* Other States and UTs, the sharing pattern is of 50:50.
* For all other components of ICDS, the ratio has been modified to 90:10(100% Central Assistance earlier).
The ICDS team:
It comprises the Anganwadi Workers, Anganwadi Helpers, Supervisors, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and District Programme Officers (DPOs). Anganwadi Worker, a lady selected from the local community, is a community based frontline honorary worker of the ICDS Programme. She is also an agent of social change, mobilizing community support for better care of young children, girls and women. Besides, the medical officers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) form a team with the ICDS functionaries to achieve convergence of different services.
Problems:
* The AWC is a point where both demand is created and services are delivered. The study found that AWC network has not fully succeeded in meeting either of its two objectives.
* No toilets at more than 45% ICDS centres
* Shortage of staff/many vacant posts
* Not enough resource provided/supplied on time
* Not good infrastructure facilities or workspaces
* Not achieving its desired result(one in 3 child in Gujarat is facing malnutrition/is underweight)
* Timely follow up and scrutiny not done strictly
* Less awareness due to somewhat ineffective communication between beneficiaries and authorities
* Big shortfall in providing Supplementary Nutrition
Possible solutions:
* Creating awareness among beneficiaries
* Proper control and scrutiny plans and monitoring plans
* More involvement of panchayat to properly monitor and facilitate scheme
* Creating enough infrastructure facilities to cater demands
* Proper sanitation facilities
* Better training of employees to make them more effective in delivering desired services
* As children are future of nation so this is very important scheme for national development so vacant positions should be filled and adequate materials should be provided because only healthy India can be wealthy and prosperous India.
Anurag Mishra
ref
1. http://www.eximguru.com/exim/special_economic_zone_sez/ch_7_sez_act_2005.aspx
2. http://wcd.nic.in/icds.htm
3. http://www.childlineindia.org.in/Integrated-Child-Development-Scheme-ICDS.htm
4. http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/peoreport/peo/peo_icds.pdf
5. http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/India/Every-third-child-in-Gujarat-is-underweight-CAG/Article1-1131138.aspx
Linkages between development and spread of extremism
Linkages between development and spread of extremism
Extremism in India has become the gravest threat to our country. The extent and magnitude of the extremists operations are so gigantic that they are affecting the social, economic and political and even the well being of our country.
Extremism:
Extremism can be defined is any ideology considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society or to violate common moral standards.
Causes of Extremism in India:
(i)Lack of governance
(ii)Socio-economic issues
* Governance is concerned the most important issue as we lack a long term strategic perspective. Government has been giving more priority to Industrialization and less preference to development of tribal areas.Tribals have been denied their constitutional rights and justice.
* With regards to socio economic issues education must be the prime intervention and this needs to be addressed with innovation. Once education enters the blood stream of the people of particular region they would be discrete with their violent actions. Most of these people who are entering into the movement of extremism are lacking primary education, basic amenities and infrastructure facilities.
Developmental issues related to rise and spread of extremism.
Special Economic Zones (SEZ):
Land acquisition for SEZ has given wide spread of protests all over the country. Large tracts of land are being acquired across the country for this purpose. There is a loss of revenue in the form of taxes and there is effect on agricultural production. Land is livelihood resource for farmers. A farmers life is completely dependent up on the land.SEZ requires a single huge block of land and government is taking hard steps in acquiring the land. Mediators are creating mess up between government and farmers; this has been creating huge loss to farmers in giving compensation. They are not getting proper compensation for the land what they have given .These things may lead their life into extremist thoughts.
Labor, Unemployment and wages:
Unemployment and insecurity of livelihood are growing source of dissatisfaction and anger among youth, both in urban and rural areas. The overall shape of the economy has been characterized by three related facts share of agriculture, mining and quarrying and manufacturing. In allocation of government jobs there has been shown some nepotism and because of this some section of people are neglected.
Policing:
Efficient and impartial policing is an important requirement of good administration .Weaker section of people does not have much faith in police. People have no faith that justice will be done to them against the powerful person in the society. Here lies one of the attractions of the naxalite movement and extremist thoughts.
Process of getting Justice:
Frustrations have built among the society where disputes and conflicts are not settled in time. Todays judicial system is time consuming in nature. The parties to the dispute lose control over even the terms and details of the dispute once it goes to the court. This way the people minds are turning to take addiction related towards extremist thoughts.
Solutions to problem of extremism:
* Land Related Measures:
A serious effort must be made to continuously implement the land ceiling issues .So that the ceiling surplus land obtained should be made available for distribution amongst the most vulnerable section of the landless poor. Land should be acquired by government for SEZ by paying proper compensation to the farmers.
* Basic amenities and Infrastructure:
Failure to provide infrastructure and services as per national norms is one of the much discriminatory manifestations of governance in extremism affected areas. Basic services to standards among the people in these areas to be given top priority.
* Governance Issues:
Areas in central India where unrest is prevailing covers several states like Andhra Pradesh,Orissa,Chattisgarh,Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of Maharashtra are manually administered. State interventions both for development and for law and order are fairly low. Local populations present in the tribal areas are being exploited by the armed and rich people. Government should taken necessary action in protecting these people. The basic steps required in the direction include establishment of credibility and confidence of government, keeping a continuous vigil for fulfillment of peoples vision, effective protection, peace and good governance sustainable development with equity in tribal areas will make extremism low in tribal areas.
Steps taken by Government to reduce extremism:
Military operations have not been abandoned and individual states continue to undertake area clearing operations, such exercises appear to form parts of a new clear, hold and develop strategy that uses development as a tool to win back the support of the tribal population, who overwhelmingly appear to sympathize with the extremists. Since early 2011 there is a renewed focus on carrying out development initiatives in areas cleared of Maoist presence. Several flagship projects of the government to improve connectivity of tribal areas with the administrative centers, to provide employment to the tribal youth and to ensure health and educational facilities have been launched. To ensure that proper implementation of these developmental projects and monitor their progress, a new scheme titled Prime Ministers Rural Development Fellows Scheme has also been unveiled. Under the scheme, 156 young professionals have been trained and are being stationed in 78 worst-affected districts for two years to assist the district administration. Resources too have started flowing into the coffers of the district administration with an emphasis on time bound utilization and implementation.
Since the extremists are known to have targeted infrastructure projects in the past or have prevented contractors from executing the projects, security forces are now assigned to protect the planned development ventures in order to ensure their timely completion and safety. To ensure that the security forces are not targeted, as they protect the development projects, the government is also planning to build landmine-proof Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) roads in affected states. Further, the government has also cleared a proposal to raise a combat unit under the para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for construction of roads in Maoist-affected areas.
Extremism viewed differently by different sections of the society. On the one hand, there are avid supporters and, at the other extreme, some others hold the view that the movement should be crushed ruthlessly. There are those who favour the 'middle path'. It is difficult to neatly categorize all shades of opinion in the middle path. Broadly, it runs along the following lines. Some of the demands of the extremists are genuine and cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the Government should seriously consider such demands and implement them, either voluntarily or consequent to negotiations with the rebels.
by Nava Bharavi Pampana
Reference:
http://www.upscmains.in/2013/06/linkages-between-development-and-spread.html
http://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=2543&mmacmaid=794
http://www.paradigmiasacademy.in/basicread/affairs/Linkages%20between%20development%20and%20spread%20of%20extremism.pdf
Extremism in India has become the gravest threat to our country. The extent and magnitude of the extremists operations are so gigantic that they are affecting the social, economic and political and even the well being of our country.
Extremism:
Extremism can be defined is any ideology considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society or to violate common moral standards.
Causes of Extremism in India:
(i)Lack of governance
(ii)Socio-economic issues
* Governance is concerned the most important issue as we lack a long term strategic perspective. Government has been giving more priority to Industrialization and less preference to development of tribal areas.Tribals have been denied their constitutional rights and justice.
* With regards to socio economic issues education must be the prime intervention and this needs to be addressed with innovation. Once education enters the blood stream of the people of particular region they would be discrete with their violent actions. Most of these people who are entering into the movement of extremism are lacking primary education, basic amenities and infrastructure facilities.
Developmental issues related to rise and spread of extremism.
Special Economic Zones (SEZ):
Land acquisition for SEZ has given wide spread of protests all over the country. Large tracts of land are being acquired across the country for this purpose. There is a loss of revenue in the form of taxes and there is effect on agricultural production. Land is livelihood resource for farmers. A farmers life is completely dependent up on the land.SEZ requires a single huge block of land and government is taking hard steps in acquiring the land. Mediators are creating mess up between government and farmers; this has been creating huge loss to farmers in giving compensation. They are not getting proper compensation for the land what they have given .These things may lead their life into extremist thoughts.
Labor, Unemployment and wages:
Unemployment and insecurity of livelihood are growing source of dissatisfaction and anger among youth, both in urban and rural areas. The overall shape of the economy has been characterized by three related facts share of agriculture, mining and quarrying and manufacturing. In allocation of government jobs there has been shown some nepotism and because of this some section of people are neglected.
Policing:
Efficient and impartial policing is an important requirement of good administration .Weaker section of people does not have much faith in police. People have no faith that justice will be done to them against the powerful person in the society. Here lies one of the attractions of the naxalite movement and extremist thoughts.
Process of getting Justice:
Frustrations have built among the society where disputes and conflicts are not settled in time. Todays judicial system is time consuming in nature. The parties to the dispute lose control over even the terms and details of the dispute once it goes to the court. This way the people minds are turning to take addiction related towards extremist thoughts.
Solutions to problem of extremism:
* Land Related Measures:
A serious effort must be made to continuously implement the land ceiling issues .So that the ceiling surplus land obtained should be made available for distribution amongst the most vulnerable section of the landless poor. Land should be acquired by government for SEZ by paying proper compensation to the farmers.
* Basic amenities and Infrastructure:
Failure to provide infrastructure and services as per national norms is one of the much discriminatory manifestations of governance in extremism affected areas. Basic services to standards among the people in these areas to be given top priority.
* Governance Issues:
Areas in central India where unrest is prevailing covers several states like Andhra Pradesh,Orissa,Chattisgarh,Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of Maharashtra are manually administered. State interventions both for development and for law and order are fairly low. Local populations present in the tribal areas are being exploited by the armed and rich people. Government should taken necessary action in protecting these people. The basic steps required in the direction include establishment of credibility and confidence of government, keeping a continuous vigil for fulfillment of peoples vision, effective protection, peace and good governance sustainable development with equity in tribal areas will make extremism low in tribal areas.
Steps taken by Government to reduce extremism:
Military operations have not been abandoned and individual states continue to undertake area clearing operations, such exercises appear to form parts of a new clear, hold and develop strategy that uses development as a tool to win back the support of the tribal population, who overwhelmingly appear to sympathize with the extremists. Since early 2011 there is a renewed focus on carrying out development initiatives in areas cleared of Maoist presence. Several flagship projects of the government to improve connectivity of tribal areas with the administrative centers, to provide employment to the tribal youth and to ensure health and educational facilities have been launched. To ensure that proper implementation of these developmental projects and monitor their progress, a new scheme titled Prime Ministers Rural Development Fellows Scheme has also been unveiled. Under the scheme, 156 young professionals have been trained and are being stationed in 78 worst-affected districts for two years to assist the district administration. Resources too have started flowing into the coffers of the district administration with an emphasis on time bound utilization and implementation.
Since the extremists are known to have targeted infrastructure projects in the past or have prevented contractors from executing the projects, security forces are now assigned to protect the planned development ventures in order to ensure their timely completion and safety. To ensure that the security forces are not targeted, as they protect the development projects, the government is also planning to build landmine-proof Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) roads in affected states. Further, the government has also cleared a proposal to raise a combat unit under the para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for construction of roads in Maoist-affected areas.
Extremism viewed differently by different sections of the society. On the one hand, there are avid supporters and, at the other extreme, some others hold the view that the movement should be crushed ruthlessly. There are those who favour the 'middle path'. It is difficult to neatly categorize all shades of opinion in the middle path. Broadly, it runs along the following lines. Some of the demands of the extremists are genuine and cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the Government should seriously consider such demands and implement them, either voluntarily or consequent to negotiations with the rebels.
by Nava Bharavi Pampana
Reference:
http://www.upscmains.in/2013/06/linkages-between-development-and-spread.html
http://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=2543&mmacmaid=794
http://www.paradigmiasacademy.in/basicread/affairs/Linkages%20between%20development%20and%20spread%20of%20extremism.pdf
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