Itc, Bat Ink Pact On Licensing Brands

disparity still persists in our country. Members of the Scheduled

Castes and Scheduled Tribes are the main victims of this

disparity. Several communities other than the 'Scheduled Castes

and Scheduled Tribes have recently been identified as backward

communities. They were denied social justice and economic

benefits before Independence of the country. Unfortunately, even

after Independence they continue to be so deprived. It is true

that in existing set-up of the country it may not be possible to

undertake any comprehensive plan for the uplift of these people.

But if the Government is really keen and has the sincerity, it

may be possible to provide at least certain minimum facilities to

 

them and create conditions conducive to socioeconomic development

of these unfortunate people. It is with this intention that

successive Left Front Governments in West Bengal have remained

busy implementing various plans and programmes for the backward

and less privileged sections of the society. The Left Front

Government came to power for the first time in West Bengal in

1977. Thereafter, the Left Front have won four consecutive

General Elections and assumed power. From the very beginning the

thrust of the Left Front Government has been on ameliorating the

socioeconomic condition of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled

Tribes and other backward sections of the Society. The Left Front

Government has not merely announced plans and programmes but has

also laid emphasis on implementation of these plans and

programmes. With this end in view suitable steps to introduce new

laws and amend the existing laws, wherever necessary, have been

taken. Also due importance has been attached to involving the

Scheduled Castes and Tribes and other backward communities in

drawal of various plans for their uplift and implementation

thereof. Keeping this in view the process of decentralisation of

power has been accelerated during the last 20 years making it

possible for the less privileged and poorer sections of the

society to enjoy the benefits of advancement. Now it can be

emphatically said that decentralised planning in West Bengal with

the participation of all sections of the Society including the

backward ones in the process has set an example before the whole

country.

Benefits of Land Reforms

The benefits emanating from distribution of land among the

landless and the 'Operation Barga' which had started 20 years

back are being reaped by people belonging to the S.C. & S.T. in

as much as a large section of these people were landless and

share-croppers. As a result of land reforms backward and

economically poor people have not only got their right to land

and cultivation but their economic condition has also improved.

Land Reforms have increased their purchasing power and given them

respectability in the society. These people are now playing a

vital role in the development of the rural economy. The entire

family can now fight back poverty, malnutrition and starvation.

It can be emphatically claimed now that the standard of living of

a large number of these families, who were earlier hardly able to

make both ends meet has improved. The earnings of S.C. & S.T.

agricultural labourers have also increased. On the basis of a

carefully drawn plan steps have been taken by the State

Government to produce more than one crop in a large number of

agricultural plots and at the same time the area of irrigated

land has also increased substantially. As a result the number of

man-days in agriculture has increased resulting in higher income

for agricultural labourers. In other words, land reforms and the

increase in agricultural wages have benefited peasants belonging

to S.C. & S.T. financially. According to the latest statistics

upto September, 1995, 9,56,000 acres of surplus land have been

distributed among 22,70,000 persons of whom 8,32,000 and 4,64,000

belong to S.C. & S.T. respectively. In Other words people

belonging to S.C. & S.T. are 57% of recipients of surplus land.

During the same period names of 14.70,000 cultivators have been

recorded as Bargadars in plots measuring 10,90,000 acres. Of them

6,10,000 belong to S.C. & S.T. and plots given to them measure

5,10,000 acres in area. It is evident that persons belonging to

S.C. & S.T. from 41.5% of recorded bargadars and they have

received 46.8% of total barga land. These measures have been

taken to sustain the productivity of these people. This has been

made possible by the introduction of decentralised planning at

the district level and a 3-Tier Panchayati system whereby common

poor people of rural West Bengal can now directly participate in

the development process. It has been noticed during the past few

years that the productivity of poor cultivators in small farms is

more than that in larger farms. At the same time employment of

labour in agriculture per hectare in this state is comparatively

high. This has been so because in this State agricultural

production and successful implementation of decentralised

planning largely depend on persons benefited by land reforms and

small and marginal farmers. Since a large number of these people

belong to S.C. & S.T., higher productivity in smaller frams and,

comparatively high employment of labour per hectare clearly

indicate that the benefits accruing from the efforts of the State

Government to bring about improvement in agriculture have

percolated down to these backward people. Their economic,

improvement is clearly discernible. lnfact the steps taken by the

State Govt. to provide different facilities to poor cultivators

have come to benefit immensely agricultural families belonging to

S.C. & S.T. They are now assured of supply of seeds, manure,

loan and water. In order to guard against soil erosion and ensure

water conservation different institutions under the State

Government have adopted schemes for erection of ridges on land,

surfacing on land. terracing of bench, plantation, forming, water

harvesting body, construction of run of detention tank, digging

of ponds etc. Besides, cultivation based on micro water shed

method has been introduced on dryland. Poor cultivators are now

getting seeds through Mini-Kit. The State Govt. is also extending

necessary assistance so that these people can get Bank loans.

Initiative taken by the Fisheries Department

A large section of fishermen belongs to S.C. & S.T. Nearly 50% of

the total budgetary provision of the fisheries Department of the

State Government is spent for fishermen belonging to S.C. & S.T.

A number of welfare schemes viz, Group Insurance Scheme, Old-age

Pension, Welfare and Savings scheme, Formation of model village,

etc. have been introduced for these poor fishermen. A scheme for

imparting training to the fishermen has also been introduced.

Under this scheme arrangements for imparting training have been

made at the grass-root level, district level and the State level.

During the year 1995-96, 5347 fishermen and 460 fisherwomen have

been brought within the fold of this training scheme. Most of

these trained people belong to the S.C. & S.T. Training has also

been given to 360 fishermen in sea-fishing, 40% of these trained

fishermen belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In

implementing the following schemes special emphasis is attached

to persons belonging to S.C. & S.T:

(1) Introduction and extension of scientific methods of

pisciculture in wet-land through The integrated services of the

Fisheries Department;

(2) Increasing the awareness of scientific methods among poor

fishermen through comprehensive training programme;

(3) Arrangement for loans for poor fishermen and Fishermens' Co-

operative Societies from financial institutions;

(4) Encouraging fishermen to adopt advanced technology through

subsidies;

(5) The Setting up of various infrastructural facilities under

the department of Fisheries.

In each of these spheres targets are fixed for fishermen

belonging to S.C. & S.T. and steps are taken to realise them. To

Copularise inland pisciculture based on modern technology the

State Government has set-up Fish Farmers' Development Agency in

each district. During the year 1994-95 the F.F.D. As have brought

additional 3024 hectares of wet-land under scientific

pisciculture by undertaking Tank Improvement Schemes, allowing

subsidies and making loans available on easy terms. An amount of

Rs. 1,06,69,000/- has been given as subsidy to 10,621 fishermen.

50% of this amount has been received by persons belonging to S.C.

& S.T. The Fisheries Department of the state Government is bent

on improving the socioeconomic condition of these people. Already

10 model villages for fishermen have been built. The work on 3

more such villages is in progress. Besides Community Halls, Ghats

for unloading fish, Ice Factories and Rural Roads are being

constructed. Poor S.C. & S.T. fishermen are enjoying the benefits

of all these activities. The facilities now available will be

enlarged further in the coming days. The efforts of the State

Government have given the development process of poor and

backward fishermen a new dimension. The modem facilities of

pisciculture are now easily available to them. Pisciculture,

especially the growing of prawns, in brakish water has a bright

prospect in this state. This type of fish farming is increasing

steadily. Appreciating the prospects of pisciculture in brakish

water the World Bank has already sanctioned financial assistance

for fish farming in 755 hectares of brakish water in Canning and

Dighirpar in South 24-Parganas and Digha and Dadan patrabare in

Medinipur. All these projects are nearing completion. Besides

Benfish has setup a plant at Junput in Medinipur for producing

dry fish scientifically with the help of modem technology. The

efforts on the part of State Government have widened the scope of

earning of poor and backward fisherman of the State.

Development of Animal Resources and Small Scale industries

Scheduled Castes and Tribes have been benefited by the steps

adopted by the State Government for the development of Animal

Resources and Small Scale Industries. The State Government has

taken effective steps to popularise scientific methods of animal

reading, upgrade poultries and produce better animal resources

through distribution of animal of better breed and supply of

frozen sperm. Fodder is now easily available.

An infrastructure for providing veterinary services has been set-

up even in remote areas of the State. The initiative taken by the

State Government has encouraged poor cultivators to take up

animal husbandry. As a result, as substantial part of the total

expenditure of the State Government in this regard has reached

persons belonging to S.C. & S.T. who have also been benefited by

land reforms undertaken by the State Government.

A comprehensive scheme has been taken by the State Government to

distribute fowls and eggs of better breed among the poultry

farmers belonging to scheduled castes & tribes. As a result the

earnings of these people have increased and at the same time West

Bengal has come to secure the third place in the country in egg

production.

Social Welfare measures undertaken by the State Government in the

Sphere of Animal Husbandry include:- (1) Special Live-stock

Breeding Programme (SLBB), and (2) Welfare programmes aimed at

securing justice for S.C. & S.T. families. In the year 1994-95,

1400 families were benefited by the Special Live-Stock Breeding

Programme, 2350 families were benefited during the same period by

the second scheme. Families benefited by S.L.B.P, included S.C. &

S.T. families also, In the sphere of small industries in rural

areas emphasis has been laid by the State Government on the

development of Lac Industry, which is concentrated in the

districts of Purulia, Bankura, Medinipur, Murshidabad and Maida.

It may be mentioned that nearly 80,000 S T. families live on Lac

Industry it West Bengal.

The objective of the State government is to eliminate the

middlemen form the trade and from cooperatives with Lac artisans,

and to encourage them to buy lac directly from producers and also

to market their output directly. With this aim in view 23 lac

Seed Farms have been set-up. In addition, arrangements have been

made to give training to the artisans and Lac seeds are

distributed free of cost among Lac Cultivators. During the year

1994-95, 16,901 Kg of Lac seeds were distributed among 7064

tribals.

Special schemes are under implementation for S.C. & S.T. people

who are attached to Handloom, Sericulture and Leather industries,

The State Government provides raw materials, finance and

technical and marketing assistance to Weavers' Co-operatives

which have been formed by poor weavers. A large number of persons

belonging to S.C. & S.T. who are members of these Societies have

thus been benefited. The main objective of the State Government

in the field of Sericulture is to encourage small and marginal

farmers and persons, specially those belonging to backward

classes who have been benefited by land reforms, to take up

sericulture.

The State Government provides them land, facilities of

irrigation, cutting of superior quality and Cocoons. The State

Government also provides them facilities for scientific rearing

of Cocoons and reeling. Also poor farmers are given training in

modern methods of sericulture. For persons engaged in Leather

Industry the State Government has made similar arrangements for

providing finance, raw materials and technical and marketing

assistance. They are also given training in modern methods of

production.

Electricity for the poor

The Government of West

Bengal has taken up a

programme for rural electrification through the State Electricity

Board to provide electricity to people belonging to S.C. & S.T.

Despite financial constraints the programme is being implemented

uninterruptedly. In order to enable the Board to supply power to

as many villages as possible Zilla Parishads and S.C. & T.W.

Deptt. have extended financial assistance to the West Bengal

State Electricity Board.

Simultaneously under the Kutidyoti Lokdeep scheme the State

Government has taken appropriate steps to supply power to persons

belonging to Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes and economically

weaker sections of the society at a sheap rate. The West Bengal

State Electricity Board was successful in achieving its target to

provide electricity to 11,520 houses during the year 1994-95

under the scheme. Electricity could be provided to a total number

165,015 houses upto 31st March 1995. The target for the year

1996 was an additionaa 11,520 houses.