Activists laud govt initiate for high voter turnout in Saranda

Higher voter turnout in Jharkhand's Saranda forests in the Lok Sabha polls has brought cheers to those involved in a Centrally-sponsored development initiative in the area, which was once controlled by the Maoists.
Officials said that 69.77 per cent voting was witnessed in 23 polling stations in Singhbum Lok Sabha constituency's Saranda region--Asia's very rich Sal Forest lying at the tri- junction of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh--in the April 17 polling.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, it was a meagre 45 per cent turnout in these polling stations in Saranda. It was the headquarters of the CPI (Maoist) till the beginning of 2011.

Activists working on the ground said that such a higher voting turnout was possible in the region because of the Union Rural Development Ministry's ambitious plan to reach out to tribals through a development initiative called Saranda Development Plan.
"It is quite a transformation. It is a defeat of the Maoists and victory of democracy. Saranda Development Plan initiated by the Rural Development Ministry has changed the mindset of the people," says Rajesh Pati, who is associated with a NGO working in the region.
Saranda Development Plan is a brainchild of Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh, with the support of the Jharkhand government, launched the programme in January 2012.

Visiting the area for eight times after launching the initiative, the Minister had handed over cheques, bicycles, solar lights and transistors to the beneficiaries, mostly tribals.
Ramesh, who oversaw the implementation of the programme, took several steps to improve road connectivity and a building for an Integrated Development Centre (IDC), which will be the local panchayat, a bank, a PDS shop and e-Kendra, at Digha village.
There are around 7,000 tribal households with population of 36,500 in Saranda forest in 56 villages. It is home to the Ho tribes who speak Ho dialect. Of the 56 villages, 14 are forest villages, around 10 are unsurveyed Jharkhandi villages and rest are revenue villages.