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TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

I1PP28

For TheChattisgarh District Rural Poverty Project

Department of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development

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Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur

November 23, 2002

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Introduction:

Chhattisgarh has a tribal population of 32.45 percent (Census, 1991). Tribals are concentratedover nearly 65 percent of the states area, and this area covers seven districts entirely and anothersix districts partly'. The state is home to several tribes - small, large and even those nearingextinction in numbers - and it presents among the most challenging scenario for humandevelopment anywhere in the country.

This strategy document broadly outlines the context of socio-economic and development statusof tribal groups in Chhattisgarh and presents a plan to address these within the framework of theWorld Bank financed District Rural Povertry Project (DRPP). The DRPP is a people centred,participatory, poverty alleviation programme that targets the poor and disadvantaged section ofthe population in all 16 districts of Chhattisgarh. The implementation of the project is based onan innovative approach that highlights demand-sensitive development, promoting and supportingeffective decentralised governance and addressing obstacles to income security.

It is well established that the tribal communities as anywhere else in the country, are one of themost vulnerable and marginalised group. They face social diversity, oppression and economichardships in various forms. They have to contend with unequal and insecure access to productiveresources and share poor participation in governance. Tribal areas and communities largelyremain underserved through public systems - both on account of supply (resources fail to reachthe target or programmes fail to bring long term change) and demand (poor ability to demandand elicit resources and services) factors. Poor educational achievements, vulnerable healthstatus and insecure livelihood base have kept these groups to the margins of development inChhattisgarh. The number and status of tribals, thus warrant specific attention to aspects of theirparticipation and intended benefits from DPRP.

Through this tribal development strategy the government makes an attempt to recognise the factthat benefits from programmes and schemes intended for the tribals do not reach themautomatically and that deliberate and strategic measures and protective regimes have to combinewith relevant programmes in order to ensure that benefits actually accrue to vulnerable sectionssuch as tribals. Accordingly, this document sets out an agenda of action for DPRP and identifiesmeasures and provisions intended to protect and enhance the participation of and benefit to thetribal communities in the selected DPRP districts. This paper identifies broad principles anddirections for institutional and programmatic intervention with the tribals in DPRP.

This strategy document is structured as follows:

1. Context of Tribal Communities in Chhattisgarh and their status in DPRP Districts - AnOverview.

2. Legal and Policy Framework for Tribals in Chhattisgarh.3. Government and Non Government Organisations working for Tribal Development in

Chhattisgarh.4. Tribal Development Strategy for DPRP.

Census, 1991

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5. Institutional and Programmatic Interventions for Tribals in DPRP.

1. The Context of Tribal Communities in Chhattisgarh and their status in DPRPDistricts: An Overview

The state of Chhattisgarh is home to a large tribal population, which is diverse in location, origin,socio-cultural history, language, livelihood and level of development. With the exception ofsome isolated tribes, which continue to be in the food gathering stage, settled cultivation is thedominant mode of occupation for most of them. However, forests continue to be significantsource of livelihood. This is a result of the historical pattern of settlement whereby the tribalcommunities reside in or near forested areas. The areas of tribal concentration in Chhattisgarhcan be classified as under:

North Eastern Zone: Comprises of Surguja, Raigarh, Bilaspur and areas of other adjoiningdistricts. The primary hilly north-eastern zone is the abode to the Oraons, Kawar, Majhi, Bharia,Agaria, Nagasia, Khairwar, Dhanwar and Korwas. The area has a number of primitive tribes2

such as Korwas and smaller groups of Baiga. In Chhattisgarh, six agencies have been set upespecially for development of these primitive tribes. These six agencies are:

1. Kamar Vikas Abhikaran, Gariyaband (Kamar Development Authority, Gariyaband)2. Abhujmarh Vikas Abhikaran, Narayanpur (Abhujmarh Development Authority,

Narayanpur)3. Baiga Pahadi Korba Vikas Abhikaran, Bilaspur (Baiga Pahari Korba Development

Authority, Bilaspur)4. Pahadi Korba Vikas Abhikaran, Ambikapur (Pahari Korba Development Authority,

Ambikapur)5. Baiga Vikas Abhikaran, Kawardha (Baiga Development Authority, Kawardha)6. Pahadi Korba evam Birhor Vikas Abhikaran, Jashpur (Pahadi korba and Birhor

Development Authority, Jashpur)

These agencies work towards all round development of these tribes by making provisions fordrinking water sources, civil constructions, health facilities, schemes such as purchase of land forlandless primitive tribe people, etc., all with the objective of making them self-reliant.

Southern Zone: Comprising of Bastar and other districts carved out of Bastar, this is a large areawith very high tribal concentration. This area is populated by various tribes like Gond, Bhatra,Halba, Maria and Pardhi. Numerically, Gond is the largest tribe of Chhattisgarh.

Table 1: Details of ST Population in DPRP Districts of Chhattisgarh (1991)

S District Total STs % Of Total Major Tribes Other TribesNo. Population Population I

I Bilaspur 1694883 347216 20 | Gond, Kawar Dhanwar, Bhinjwar,

2 For notification as Primitive Tribes, four criteria have been laid down by Government of India - economy based onextremely backward agricultural technology, very low literacy rates, isolated from mainstream lifestyle due togeographical situation and less growth rate of population than expected for long period.

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2 Korba 825891 356222 43 Sawar, Bhaina, Oraon,3 Janjgir-Champa 1110200 135641 12 Majhwar4 Surguja 1581872 897217 57 Gond, Kawar, Oraon Bharia, Agaria, Nagasia,5 Koriya 500758 220360 44 Khairwar, Dhanwar,

Korwa6 Raigarh 1065939 392385 37 Gond, Oraon, Bharia, Bhinjwar,7 Jashpur 656352 429092 65 Kawar, Sawar Dhanwar, Kharia,

Korwa, Majhi, Nagasia8 Raipur 2529166 331554 13 Gond, Kawar Bhinjwar, Saur, Sawar,9 Mahasamund 791197 222298 28 Halba, Bhunjia, Kamar10 Dhamtari 587679 160175 2711 Durg 2397134 298059 12 Gond, Halba Kawar12 Ra_nandgaon 1089047 293071 27 Gond, Kawar, Halba Baiga13 Kawardha 513496 103946 2014 Bastar 1116896 742799 67 Gond, Bhatra, Halba Pardhi15 Kanker 532151 296584 5616 Dantewada 622267 490505 79

TOTAL 17614928 5717124 32Source: Census 1991 & Chhattisgarh - A State is Born.

There are a few sections of tribes, who by virtue of their location and entitlement have derivedbenefits of settled agriculture under favourable conditions and have also sought to assert a highersocial identity. However, for most tribals, settlements along the hilly tracts, forests ormarginalised lands; social status and economic endowment is low and precarious. The largenumber of tribals present in the state pose a challenge for all development and poverty reductioninitiatives and programmes have to b sensitive to their social, cultural and livelihood context.

A list of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh, numbering 42, is given in Annexure I and of theseven Primitive Tribes in Annexure II.

The following are the main development indicators that highlight the problems and challengesfaced by the tribal communities in the state:

Education:

Education is one of the most powerful tools for socio-economic empowerment but the tribalcommunities of the state have lagged behind, both in terms of access as well as scholasticachievements. Although the state has invested considerably in infrastructure development foruniversalising education, large proportions of tribals, particularly girls, still remain outside thescope and reach of formal schooling. The 1991 census revealed that the overall literacy rateamong the tribals was 26.7 percent, male literacy was 39.7 percent and female literacy rate amere 13.9 percent. We may assume that these rates would have increased considerably over thelast ten years, a period in which the literacy rate of Chhattisgarh state progressed from 42.9percent in 1991 to 65.2 percent in 2001.

There are of course spatial variations. Lack of social motivation, economic stress, limitedperceived relevance of schooling, poor teacher motivation and inadequate resources havecombined to jeopardise the tribals' access to education. These act even more aggressively on the

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girl child. Hence, the gender gap in education remains persistent. A district wise presentation ofliteracy rate amongst scheduled tribes is given in table 2.

Table 2: Districtwise presentation of Literacy Rate amongst STs in Chhattisgarh (1991)

S No. Districts Literacy rateamongst STs (All)

1 Koriya 19.52 Surguja3 Bilaspur 29.94 'Korba5 Janjgir-Champa6 Jashpur 32.87 Raigarh8 Kawardha 35.69 Rajnandgaon10 Durg 50.611 Raipur 35.712 Mahasamund13 Dhamtari14 Kanker 15.515 Bastar16 Dantewada

Source: Sanket, Chhattisgarh - A State is Born, Bhopal.

Chhattisgarh has been a witness to a number of innovative government programs like EducationGuarantee Scheme (EGS), Alternative Schooling, District Primary Education Project (DPEP)and initiatives by voluntary organisations in the field of education. The initiatives have sought tofill the supply gap by offering more and better-equipped facilities and also to improveeffectiveness of public education system by focusing upon pedagogy and aspects of teachermotivation. EGS ensures provision of a school within one kilometre radius of a settlement fromwhere the demand for the same has come and where there are at least 40 children (25 for tribalareas) who do not have access to a primary school. DPEP is a World Bank sponsored project,which works towards universalising primary education through multiple interventions atprogrammatic and institutional levels and which covers all aspects of education. AlternativeSchooling was introduced as an intervention under DPEP for education of children who are notable to study in formal schools due to various socio-economic reasons.

Livelihood and Employment

Land, both private and public, is the main source of livelihood in rural areas, with agriculture,animal husbandry, forestry and allied activities the main sectors in which tribals earn their living.These are carried on primarily for their own subsistence and often under endemically adverseecological and economic factors. The status of agriculture and allied activities of the tribals isbasically low technology low input, and subsistence economy based. While there are segmentsamongst tribals who own large tracts of land and have also taken to more productive and hence

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more remunerative agricultural practices, they by and large revolve in low technologyequilibrium. The major constraint in enhancing agriculture returns among the tribal groups hasbeen marginal land ownership, feudal structures of production and low ability for investment.

In most of the districts, less number of tribal families own land. The size of these holdings is

Raipur (Raipur, Rajnandgaon Bastar (Bastar, BilaspurMahasamnud (Rajnandgaon Kanker and (Bilaspur, Korba Surguja (Surguja Raigarh (Raigarh

and Dhamtari) Durg and Kawardha) Dantewara) and Janjgir) and Koriya) and Jashpur

Size Class (in Number Number Number Number Number Number Number

Hect.) S.T. Total S.T. Total S.T. Total S.T. Total S.T. Total S.T. Total S.T. Total

Below 0.5 28636 215434 1218 105038 13015 71893 29303 47651 54485 31261 46551 92227 29782 781411

0.5-1.0 27375 151447 12366 84833 13238 54838 28586 43260 30353 15369 33929 60625 23266 50563

Marginal 56011 366881 24553 189871 26253 126731 57889 90911 84838 466313 80480 152852 53048 12870

Small (1.0 to 2.0) 32053 141966 13620 78965 18814 66383 48793 71948 30234 127869 45259 77285 30381 59824

2.0 to 3 0 15800 63661 6288 34161 12050 34881 45728 64789 15715 54927 30067 49885 20557 35815

3.0 to 4.0 7550 31464 3074 18510 5912 18605 19396 24968 7780 25967 15702 24271 12018 1961

Semi medium 23350 95125 9362 52671 17962 53486 6512 89757 23495 80894 45769 74156 32575 55434

4.0 to 5 0 Ha 4524 19215 1823 11187 3768 11846 14848 19176 4751 1576C 10423 15705 8257 13375

5 0 to 7 5 Ha 4355 18538 170 11812 411 12681 18620 22632 4943 14897 11803 17512 10362 15712

7.5 to I0 Ha 1716 7609 563 4830 1874 5620 9506 11181 2040 6184 4788 7038 4599 7074

Medium 10595 45362 4093 27829 9759 30147 42974 52989 11734 36841 27014 40255 23218 36161

10 to 20 Ha 1085 5616 318 3921 131 4282 9826 11235 1258 4265 2734 444t 3415 5755

20 & above 95 1182 31 1034 17 883 3707 3964 128 835 211 495 388 868

Large 118 6798 349 4955 1488 5165 13533 1519 1386 510 2945 4941 3803 6623

Total 123189 656132 5197A 354291 7427t 281912 228313 320804 151687 71701A 201467 349489 143025 28674

smaller, when compared to those of the general population. The proportion of tribal landholdings is also lower than their proportion in the total population. Further, their share ofcultivated land is smaller than their share in population in nearly all the districts.

Table 3: Landholding Distribution in different size classes in the Erstwhile district ofChhattisgarh

Chh ttisgarhSize Class (in Number Area

Hect.) S.T. | Total S.T. Total

Below 0.5 213959 23.2/ 923000 57978 24.0%| 241606

0.5-1.0 169113 28.20/ 599263 122234 29.20/ 418554Marginal 383072 25.2%/ 1522263 180212 27.3%/ 660160

Small (1.0 to 2.0) 219154 35.1%| 624240 321998 35.8%/ 898569

2.0 to 3.0 146205 43.2%/ 338119 342848 42.9%/ 799403

3.0 to 4.0 71432 43.7% 163404 245400 43.8%/ 560565

Semi medium 217637 43.4% 501523 588248 43.3%/ 1359968

4.0 to 5.0 Ha 48394 45.50/ 106264 216626 45.7%/ 474157

5.0 to 7.5 Ha 55907 49.101 113784 337261 49.2%1 684848

7.5 to 10 Ha 25086 50.60/4 49536 209677 50.3%0 416921

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Medium 129387 48.0% 269584 763564 48.5% 1575926

10 to 20 Ha 19950 50.5% 39520 265788 50.6% 525239

20 & above 4734 51.1% 9261 151658 51.9% 292476Large 24684 50.6% 48781 417446 51.1% 817715

Trotal 973934 32.80/% 29663911 22714681 42.8%/4 5312338Source: MPHDR 1998

Access of tribal population to land, remains highly unstable and insecure. Land alienation andinsecurity of tenure has been a regular cause of concern related to tribal land ownership and thismakes their stakes even more uncertain, amounting to virtual landlessness. Wrongfuldispossession, unfair tenancy arrangements and bondage are common in these areas. In thesesituations, most of the tribal families exist on the margin of an agrarian economy serving it withtheir cheap labour and skills. Till 315' March, 2002, 42687 cases of dispossession of tribal landsby non-tribal had been registered in the competent courts, of which 41774 had been disposed off

3by then3.

The major problems that tribals face in securing access to land are described as under:

> Access to Revenue Land: -

* Scheduled Tribes are deprived of their land through illegal means and extortion.* While the State has adopted a progressive policy of distributing government revenue land

to landless, incomplete land records and their unavailability subvert this policyeffectively. For example, the main field revenue official, the patwari does not have a listof the landless.

* The Land Ceiling Act provides for appropriation of surplus land by the state and theirdistribution amongst the landless. However these provisions are not enforced.

* Questionable methods are employed to auction land of weaker sections by the banks.* Development and conservation projects acquire land of the weaker sections.* Illegal sale of land owned by Scheduled Tribes continues despite restrictions.

> Access to Forest Land: -

* Forest Policies can on occasion, lead to the loss of land use and even eviction fromhomestead areas of tribal people, if the policy declares that these as protected areas.

* The survey of encroachments prior to 1980 is not impartial. Encroachments onforestlands and their subsequent regularisation used to be permanent feature in forestareas. The Forest Conservation Act passed in 1980 puts a stop to this practice. It imposedvery stringent conditions for diversion of forestland for non-forestry uses. However,following agitation by forest dwellers, Government issued guidelines to regulariseencroachments prior to 1980.

* Forest villages continue to remain outside the mainstream as the Forest Act of 1980 hashampered their conversion into revenue villages.

3 Revenue department, 2002

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In most cases, the quality of land held and tilled by tribals, is least productive (this is the result ofthe historical pattern of settlement where tribals have come to inhabit the marginal land in hillsaround the cultivated tracts, where incidence of irrigation is also low4 ). Often the best qualityland is held either by non-tribals or influential sections of the tribal population

Farming is further constrained by the predominance of rainfed conditions, lack of assuredprotective irrigation, declining soil fertility, untimely and inadequate availability of inputs suchas seeds, power, and fertilisers, a generally low level of technological adoption among small andmarginal farmers.

Commercially oriented animal husbandry based on cattle rearing and dairying is again limitedboth on account of paucity of feed base, low investment ability and poor marketing options.However goat rearing, pig rearing and small-scale poultry are common among many tribalgroups. Its products are used for exchange, localised sale and domestic consumption. Thus, theseusually remain outside the scope of commercial marketing.Forestry

Forest and forest produce occupy an important place in the tribal economy and employment. Inthe state, the richest forest reserves are found in the tribal homelands and the access to and use ofthese has been the source of much contention between the tribals, private interests and the statemachinery for which the forests also represent an important source of revenue.

The forests of the state are rich in timber and non-timber forest produce. These have beentraditionally collected, processed and sold by them and thus, form an important source of cashincome for them. Estimates indicate that nearly 91 million person days of employment aregenerated in the forestry sector and the largest share (90 percent) of these accrue to the tribalresidents of the forest areas5. These days of work are generated quite largely through the Forestdepartments managed and controlled works in Forests. Apart from employment, tribal economyand life depends very largely on forests and its produce - these include substantially fuelwood,minor forest produce that is used for personal consumption and for sales, for nutritionalpurposes, for cultural and lifestyle usage, for medicinal purposes, ad other myriad uses, much ofwhich remains as a knowledge resource within tribal communities. Yet the dependency onforests, often a resource that sustains and re-inforces tribal life, is becoming unsure andunsustainable due to reducing forests, stringent laws on use of forests, and increasing biotic andpublic pressure on forests.

The most important employment generation in forestry takes place through collection and sale ofNon Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). The five most important NTFPs are nationalised with theChhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Co-operative Federation, which has monopoly rights ofcollection of these NTFPs. The federation undertakes the collection of nationalised NTFPsthrough primary cooperative societies. The most important NTFPs from livelihood generationpoint of view are nationalised NTFP like tendu patta, sal seeds and harra. Around Rs. 200 croreswere earned by tendu patta collectors in 20016. This is significant supplementary income to

4 Land use classification in Madhya Pradesh, 1992-1993, table EL-3, page 242, MPHDR 19985 Forest Department, Department Employment Report, 2001-20026 Forest Department, 2001-2002

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agriculture that accrues to tribal families in the lean agriculture season. But often due to adverseweather conditions the quality and quantity of NTFPs are badly affected. Headloading offirewood around towns is frequent and provides critical income to poor households.

The Chhattisgarh Government has accepted the responsibility of meeting the forest producerequirements of the people living around the forest area, through 'Nistaar'. Under Nistaar, theForest Department supplies fuel and fodder to the villagers at subsidised rates. The latest forestpolicy of the Government restricts this facility to villages located within five kilometres of theforest fringes. However, local residents do not have any claim on commercial revenue from theforest.

Tribals have a close linkage with the Forest Department as they reside in and around forest areasthat are managed by the Department. The relationship has been problematic to say the least. Atthe crux of myriad problems, lies the question of ownership - Who owns the forest land? - theForest Department or the tribals? The uneasy co-existence has at times broken into openhostilities also. The new initiative of the Forest Department viz. Joint Forest Management (JFM)seeks to resolve this crucial issue by offering tribal communities a stake in the management ofthe forestland, whereby the Gram Sabha holds the responsibility of coordinating theimplementation of the project and also plays a role in resolving issues. A total of 6412 JFMcommittees covering more than 33924 sq. km. of forest have already been formed in the state7.Under the DPRP project, the CIGs can take up the initiative of forming Forest ProtectionCommittees (FPCs) provided they have not been established till now in their respective villages.A FPC is a higher order organisation compared to CIGs and might comprise of a number ofCIGs operational in the village. Initiatives such as strengthening of an existing FPC can also betaken up. If physical activities are necessary to restore degraded land, then funds for undertakingsuch measures should be accessed from other sources.

If JFM emerges as a priority intervention in an area, it will be necessary to train members ofDPRP field teams in the subject. The project will have to closely liaison with the ForestDepartment in order to gain sanction and registration of FPCs.

Labour and Employment

Tribals are predominantly engaged in primary sector - agriculture, animal husbandry andforestry related activities, their low asset base in terms of land and livestock and few options forself-employment, usually makes wage labour an important component of tribal's economy in thestate. The overwhelming source of wage labour for tribals is agriculture operations. In addition tothis, forestry, mining and quarrying, and construction work are the other important employmentsectors for them.

Labour arrangements and practices vary across the state but are uniformly pitted against thepoor. In most cases, these are governed by traditional exchange relations dominated by the uppercaste landholding elite and the merchant classes. Economic relations based on social control arehighly exploitative and have sustained in the light of credit dependence of the tribal poor on thepeasant castes, forcing them into virtual bondage in many places.

7Forest Department.

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The quest for wage labour has guided the tribal poor to urban centres and regions of highagriculture production, where employment is usually available in areas of agriculture, publicworks and construction. Young women also migrate (though in lesser numbers) alongside adultmen leaving behind elderly and children in homesteads. The wage labour is casual andcompletely determined by vagaries of market forces and none of the numerous labour laws areapplied to this mode of employment. Labourers have to depend upon their employers for basicneeds such as shelter, food, etc. This vast casual workforce has been described as 'footloosepeople' by researchers studying their conditions.

Active participation by women in manual labour is a feature of rural societies everywhere. Thisis even more so for tribal society, which is unhindered by caste taboos that place restrictions onwomen's mobility for wage labour. It is common to find tribal women going out on their own forwage labour on public works and to towns. While men folk cut and gather fuelwood, it is oftenthe women who bring it into urban centres for sale.

Finally, children enter the workforce early in tribal society. Low average years of schooling, highdropouts and establishment of nuclear family after marriages means that young tribal adults haveto be independent very soon. Children work as construction labour and in quarries and alsoprovide critical labour at home and in agriculture.

Poverty and Deprivation

Given the adverse social and economic relations governing their lives, the tribals of Chhattisgarhare among the poorest and most vulnerable group in the state. The recent poverty surveys8 showthat 5,89,363 tribal families live below poverty line. They comprise 41 percent of all familiesbelow poverty line in the state. This is much higher than their proportion in the total population,which is 32.45 percent.

Table 4: Percentage of Tribal BPL Families in DPRP districts of Chhattisgarh

S District Total no. Percent Percent ofNo. of rural of tribal families

families Total living belowBPL the povertyfamilies line

I Raipur 454122 36 18.92 Mahasamund 167780 50 32.73 Dhamtari 112472 32 44.44 Durg 327523 33 17.25 Rajnandgaon 192866 41 32.96 Kawardha 94062 51 29.87 Bilaspur 334258 42 28.18 Korba 132352 44 58.6

8 BPL Survey conducted in 1999-2000.

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9 Janjgir- 230391 41 17.5Champa

10 Raigarh 243332 45 3911 Jashpur 127949 40 54.012 Sarguja 335165 51 60.913 Koriya 86290 40 58.414 Bastar 219786 58 70.615 Dantewada 91081 79 78.716 Kanker 150086 29 50.7

The major tribes in the areas that will be covered in DPRP are Gond, Oraon, Maria, Bhariya,Agariya, Nagasiya, Halba, Pardhi, Korwa, Dhanvar, Manjhi etc. They populate different areasthough there does exist some overlap also9. There are also some considerable differencesbetween them, which will require different approach by PFTs towards these groups even in thesame area. Hence, it is important that the members of the PFTs have an understanding of thecharacteristics, needs and approaches of these tribes. While many of them own some land, theyalso depend on wage labour and often face extreme exploitation and forced bondage. Hence, thePFTs must be prepared for a spectrum of activities from amongst the tribal population.

2. Legal and Policy Framework for Tribal Communities in Chhattisgarh

The Constitution of India makes special provision for tribals. It lists out predominantly tribalareas in Section 1 of Schedule 244 that are referred to as Scheduled Areas. The Schedule givesstate-wise list of communities to be designated as Scheduled Tribes. Following widespread casesof atrocities against members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the centre has passed Preventionof Atrocities (SC and ST) Act, which stipulates stringent punishment to those who commitatrocities against any tribal.

The strict hierarchical caste divisions in the Indian society place the tribals at the very bottom ofthe social ladder even though they are strictly not part of the caste system. Social discriminationis widespread and it takes numerous forms like denial of public facilities to members of SC/ ST,derogatory forms of address, forced show of subservience in the presence of upper caste people,and segregatory practices. Violence is often resorted to for enforcing the norms. Whilelegislation existed earlier also against these practices, the new powerful act provides for strongpunitive action in these cases. It makes commitment of atrocities against SC/ ST a non-bailableoffence.

In addition to the above significant act, the main State Acts that intend to protect the interests ofthe tribals in Chhattisgarh are as follows:

Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code: This Act governs tenancy regulation in Chhattisgarh.Section 170 (A) and (B) of this code place restrictions on transfer of agriculture land owned by a

9 Refer Table I

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tribal to a non-tribal. The transfer is completely prohibited in Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) areas. In nonTSP areas, transfer is possible only with the permission of the Collector.

Chhattisgarh Money Lending Act: This Act regulates activities of moneylenders with a view toprotect the interest of the weaker sections of the society. It puts a limit on interest rate that can becharged and the total interest that can be charged. It makes registration obligatory and also limitsthe power of the civil court to issue decree in money lending cases and thus, provides relief forthe debtors.

Panchayat Act (Extension to Scheduled Areas) 1996: The legal framework for Panchayati Rajgoverned by the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution was not applicable to Scheduled areas as itwas thought that Panchayati Raj bodies in tribal areas should be formed in keeping with theexisting social organisation in these areas. Considering the need and demand for extending theprovisions of Part IX of the Constitution to the Scheduled Areas, a high level committee, calledthe Bhuria Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Shri D.S. Bhuria, in 1994. Thiscommittee was expected to examine all related issues and make recommendations on the salientfeatures of the law for extending the provisions of the 73rd Amendment to the Scheduled Areas.The committee submitted its report in January 1995, and after thorough examination of therecommendations made by the committee, a bill was introduced in the Parliament in Dec. 1996.This was subsequently passed and was made into an Act namely, The Provisions of thePanchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (Act no. 40 of 1996). The objective ofthis Act are as following:-

* To extend the Provisions of Part IX of the Constitution relating to the Panchayats to theScheduled areas with certain modifications.

* To provide self-rule for the bulk of the tribal population* To have village governance with participatory democracy and to make the gram sabha a

nucleus of all activities.* To evolve a suitable administrative framework consistent with traditional practises.* To safeguard and preserve the traditions and customs of tribal communities* To empower Panchayats at the appropriate levels with specific powers conducive to tribal

requirements.* To prevent panchayats at the higher level from assuming the powers and authority of

panchayats at the lower level of the gram sabha.

This act is applicable to the scheduled areas mentioned in Clause (1) of Article 244 of theConstitution. As a sequel, all existing laws relating to Panchayats in the fifth schedule area had tobe amended as per the provision of this act with one year time period. The other Acts that havebeen amended are Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code and Chhattisgarh Excise Act. Amendmentsin Chhattisgarh Money Lending Act and Chhattisgarh Village Court Act are under process.

Designation of Tribal Areas as TSP, MADA and Clusters: An important policy that hasgoverned tribal development administration is the designation of Tribal Sub Plan areas in thefifth five-year plan (1974-79). TSP areas include Scheduled areas and those tehsils in whichtribal population exceeds 50 percent of the total. In order to cover villages that could not beincluded in TSP areas as per their definition, the concept of MADA was introduced in the Sixth

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plan (1980-85). Under this, those cluster of villages have been identified as MADA (ModifiedArea Development Approach) pockets, which have an aggregate population of 10,000 and where50 percent of the population belongs to tribal communities. Finally, steps were taken in Seventhfive-year plan (1985-90) to cover isolated and scattered pockets of STs in the state through theidentification of more pockets with tribal population of 50 percent in clusters of 5000 population.In all, Chhattisgarh now has 18 ITDPs (Integrated Tribal development Plan), 9 MADA pockets,6 Special Most Backward Tribal Development Authorities and 2 Clusters. Each of these has aspecific project and fund allocation handled and coordinated by the department of TribalDevelopment and SC welfare. DPRP and ITDP areas will overlap, but ITDP funds will not beused to duplicate DPRP works as rules governing ITDP forbids it. However, dovetailing of fundscan be done for an objective common to both the projects.

3. Government Structures, Services and NGOs for Tribal Development in Chhattisgarh

Government Agencies

Department of Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare:

Department of Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare is the prominent agency designated fordevelopment of tribal areas and communities in the state. The department has the following mainfunctions:

* To promote and protect the rights of the tribal communities in accordance with the spirit of theConstitution.

. To implement programs for the educational and economic development among tribals of thestate.

* To act as a channelising agency of funds to various line departments and agencies for tribaldevelopment interventions.

. To coordinate and monitor funds application by various line departments in tribal areas.

The department is headed by the Minister of Tribal Welfare, who is assisted by a Secretary. TheCommissioner of Tribal Welfare is the State level executive in-charge of the department.

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The Institutional Arrangement of SC, ST, BC and Minority Welfare Department

Department

Minister

State Min ter

Secretary

Commissicner

District Pro ,ect

Asst Commissioner (12) Distt. Coordinator (4) ITDP(18) MADA Pocket(9) Clusters(2)

CEO (JP) (85) BEO (85)

The Department has district level offices in all 16 districts of the state. In TSP areas (12 districtsout of 16) they are headed by the Assistant Commissioner whereas in non-TSP areas (4 districts),District Organisers are in charge of district level departmental activities. Block level offices ofthe department have been established in the 85 tribal blocks of the state and these have beenplaced under the Zila Panchayat under the three-tier panchayati raj institutional arrangement.

Creation and maintenance of educational infrastructure and services in tribal areas form anoverwhelming part of the Department's work. It invests in construction of school buildings,recruitment and administration of teachers, management of hostels, scholarships and otherincentives for improving access to schooling in tribal areas. Nearly 8545 primary schools, 1914middle schools, 332 High Schools, 293 Higher Secondary Schools, 5 model schools, 3 GirlEducation Complexes, 11 Sports Schools, 76 Post Metric Hostels, 597 Ashram Schools and 1030Pre-Metric Schools are run directly by the Department in 85 tribal blocks all over the state'°.

In addition to education, the Department is the principal planning and coordination body for theTribal Sub Plan through the Integrated Tribal Development Plan (ITDP) and MADA projects in

10 Department of Education; Department of Tribal Welfare, 2001-2002

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tribal areas and clusters. Through its district level offices, the department monitors the flow andutilization of TSP! MADA funds that are allocated to the various line departments.

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Chhattisgarh Scheduled Tribe Commission:

The ST Commission was set up by the Government to monitor the application of the state policyfor STs. It is headed by a non-government representative and is located in Raipur. The main roleof the Commission is that of a "watchdog", protecting legal, development and human rights oftribal communities and its principal functions include:

> Protecting constitutional and legal rights of STs.> Monitoring and vigilance of development programs for tribals and providing feedback for

their improved implementation.> Making recommendations on reservation policy for public services and educational

institutions.

The Commission has been accorded judicial powers of a civil court and it can initiate legal actionaccordingly through summons, investigations, and demand for documentation. Since itsinception, the Commission has responded to a number of cases of atrocities against tribals andhas been instrumental in bringing justice to aggrieved families. As an independent Commission ithas a vital role to play in protecting the rights and dignity of tribals. A copy of the annual reportof this project will be forwarded to the Commission for information and perusal.

Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Cooperative Federation:

The Raipur based Federation was set up to free the tribals from exploitative practices ofmiddlemen in the trade of Non Timber Forest Produce (mainly tendu patta) and ensure that thetribal collectors get a fair price. It is the apex body of the three tier structure comprising ofPrimary Societies and District Unions that undertake the procurement of tendu patta and nowother minor forest produce also, such as Sal seeds, harra and gum. The Federation is alsodiversifying to other high value forest based produce such as honey, aonla, imli, chironji, mahuaand lac.

The interventions of the Federation have been instrumental in ensuring a fair return from tendupatta collection, a large-scale seasonal forestry activity in the state. The Federation is poised foran expansion in its trade in other forest-based commodities. They are spatially well dispersed andhave very large membership especially in villages bordering the forest area. Most members arefrom poorer section. The Primary Societies usually have substantial funds of their own and willprobably be a major source of funds for the beneficiaries' contribution in this project.

Non- Government Organisations

Chhattisgarh, in comparison to other states, has a smaller presence and tradition of NGOsworking in the field of rural development. The growing NGO sector now has a range ofagencies/ groups working for tribal welfare. The non-government organisational sphere rangesfrom mainstream NGOs working with the state at one end to extremist groups committed tooverthrow the state apparatus at the other.

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The following three broad categories describe the range of non-government action among tribalcommunities of the state:

NGOs: This category comprises of mainstream development and service delivery NGOs thataccess state and private funds for implementation of development programs and services. SuchNGOs now exist in all the districts of the state; the recent encouragement of NGOs to participatein watershed management prompted many to set up new agencies. As most districts ofChhattisgarh have some tribal population and these groups are generally poor and deprived,NGOs work considerably with tribal constituents. However good NGOs with a proven trackrecord and demonstrated capacity to work with the community are scarce. Attempts will be madein areas where good NGOs are available and are working and residing permanently in that area,to link them with the project by using their expertise for training and capacity building and alsomaybe by giving them membership in PFTs.

Activist Organisations: Activist groups including mass tribal organizations focus on awarenessgeneration amongst tribals regarding issues related to their rights and entitlements. These groupsare guided by the conception that awareness and mobilization of tribals is critical to theirstruggle for development, dignity and justice. Activist groups are promoted and led by peoplewith very similar social profile to NGO leaders and in sense can be considered offshoots of themainstream NGO sector. Chhattisgarh by now has some activist organizations. These activistgroups display considerable ideological diversity- from Gandhian to Marxist. By and large, theybelieve that project based development work will not be effective unless the poor are empoweredand the power based equations change. They are also generally opposed to foreign aid and assuch are likely to oppose projects like DPRP. They however do engage in lobbying with thegovernment and demanding responsive action and policy to benefit tribals. In case of issues ofco-operation, co-ordination or clarity regarding the project and its implementation, the Gramsabha will be responsible for taking decisions and resolving such issues.

Political Groups. Extreme leftist (Naxalite) groups committed to the overthrow of the state, havemade inroads to some tribal pockets of Chhattisgarh viz. Dantewada, Bastar and other districtsbordering Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and Surguja bordering Jharkhand. The Gram Sabhawill be responsible for clarifying any doubts or confusions that may be raised by any such groupregarding the DPRP project and its implementation.

4. Tribal Development Strategy for DPRP

As an identified poor and vulnerable group in all the districts under DPRP, the interventions withthe tribal communities will bear both strategic and practical considerations in mind. Thefollowing are the goals of the strategy for tribal development within the project that hold goodover and above the fundamental strategies of DPRP (participation, equity and decentralisation):

> Fair participation and representation at all levels of the project with a view to influenceits decisions and outcomes for the tribal constituents

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> Ensuring protection of social, economic and cultural interest of tribal communities inproject interventions among both the tribal and the non-tribal groups

> Overcoming structural constraints to poverty and deprivation among tribals throughdirect socio-economic interventions of the project as well as induced actions under otheravailable public resources and legal provisions of the Government

> Optimising productivity of community and privately held land, water, forest andlivestock resources among tribal with a view to primarily ensure food security andgenerate sustainable surplus.

A

> Enhancing options for labour and improving conditions surrounding returns from labouras a growing basis for livelihood activity for largest number of tribal families in theregion.

> Rigorous capacity building of tribals' village level organisations and its leadership toplan, prioritise and place demands on the project services and resources.

Thus the tribal development strategy paper covers two inter-related aspects:

1. Institutional relating to participation, representation, decision-making andresource-allocation to tribal development.

2. Sectoral issues relating to project activities, interventions and investmentsrelevant to tribal development within DPRP.

5. Institutional and Sectoral Interventions

5.1: Coverage, Participation and Representation:

Recognising that STs as a group run the risk of marginalisation and invisibility from projectgovernance, the following is proposed:

At the village level, the tribal strategy will ensure that:1. DPRP will attempt to cover and facilitate the participation of all the tribal BPL families

in a settlement.2. In those villages where the ST population is above 30 percent, the tribal women living in

that area will be encouraged to form the first CIG. This will demonstrate the priority ofthe DPRP and establish clearly the section with which it is most concerned.

3. Number of proposals approved, investments made in tribal CIGs, and the quality ofperformance and participation of tribal CIGs will count as key indicators of a village'sperformance and will influence the decisions related to future allocations in that village.There will be an annual plan, which will affect future allocations. Target area will get lessmoney if the number of proposals, investments made and participation quality fall belowa minimum threshold. This annual review will be done in a humane manner, so that thecommunity is not penalised for bad performance for reasons beyond its control likenatural disasters. This will be the thumb rule for deciding on the minimum threshold.

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At the district level, it is envisaged that:1. Coverage of tribal population, investments in tribal CIGs and performance will be

monitored and reported and form part of staff/ PFT performance appraisals and rewardsystems.

2. An annual meeting of all tribal CIG representatives from within the district will beorganised by the project office in order to collectively review the progress and problemsfaced by the project and its tribal partners. Separate budget provision of about Rs. 2,500/-per meeting will be made under the project for this.

3. The project office will remain alert to moves to subvert equal participation of tribal CIGsin DPRP. This will be carried out through extensive review with PFTs and the monitoringof norms specified under village level measures above.

4. In order to ensure adequate pooling of experience and formnulation of shared strategies towork with tribal communities, it will be useful for the project teams to selectivelyfunction and interact at the regional level as well. Though there are no regional levelstructures envisaged in DPRP, project teams from five districts can be formed into oneregional cluster on the basis of the homogeneity of tribal's socio-economic profile. Therewill be three such clusters two with five districts and one with six districts (Since thereare 16 districts in the state). CIGs that perform well will be selected for cross visits sothat healthy exchange of ideas can take place. Separate budget provision within theproject will be made for cross visits. One cross visit within each regional cluster will beorganised every year. Cross visits will begin from the second year of the project.

The DPRP State Unit will convene a six monthly regional meeting of district officers responsiblefor overseeing and monitoring tribal development activities. These meetings will be used toreview the progress with tribal CIGs, exchange experiences and share strategies relevant to tribaldevelopment. There will be six meetings of this kind every year and separate budget provisionhas been made for each meeting.

At the state level, the DPRP State Unit will:1. Monitor the project's tribal development strategy and programs in and across various

districts.2. Produce an annual public report, together with comparative expenditure, on the impact of

DPRP on tribal people's lives and livelihood in the DPRP districts. The cost implicationfor the same will be minimal for such a report and these can be edjusted in themiscellaneous costs of the project.

5.2 Identification of specific activities

Tasks that relate with the tribal strategy need to be built into the fabric of DPRP operations andwork strategies. Tribals constitute a vast number of the poor in the state and the areas they residein also form the poorer areas in the state. However, unlike the general perception of tribals inIndia, in Chhattisgarh they are not marginalized or voiceless of powerless, and they arerecognised both for their poverty and for their strengths and potential and political and socialvoice. The set of strategies and activities that would ensure that the project is sensitive to tribals

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would need to be a part of the overall approach and strategy of the entire project itself and not aseparate set of interventions. However caveats and implementation operation guidelines mustensure that project is aware that although tribals are a large section, they need specific and morefocussed effort.

There are a fair number of activities specifically identified with promoting development oftribals such as mentioned in the box below. But these will need to be in consonance with theoverall implementation schedule and framework of DPRP, to ensure that (which maybenecessary in other states), tribals are not addressed as a minority group with problems of lack ofvoice and representation.

Some Identified Activities Identified

* As part of baseline study, set realistic minimum ST thresholds.* Identify key indicators for

> Number of proposals approved> Investments made by CIG> Quality of participation of tribals.> Quality of performance of tribal CIGs

* Set the minimum participation and performance threshold based on the above indicators (These maybe different for different areas and groups).

* Monitor perfornance of CIGs based on the minimum threshold* Annual review of performance and participation of CIGs* Design an annual allocation pattern sensitive to the performance of the CIGs.* Monitor participation results for CIGs and PFT staff.* Organise cross visits between CIGs within a regional cluster.* Biannual staff meeting to review progress and exchange experience* Annual tribal CIG representative meeting in each district to review draft report monitoring results

and identify obstacles to tribal participation.* Annual Tribal Strategy Progress Report on impact on tribals with comparative expenditures by

district and block.* Training and Capacity building of CIGs and PFTs.

5.3 Cost estimates andfinancing plan

Item Assumption Unit Source of Unit Cost No. of Total Cost forFund (INR) Units five years

(forFiveyears)

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Annual meeting of . Total no. of CIGs = 29151 Per Person Capacity 50 17491 50*17491 =

Tribal CIG * 60 percent of the CIGs are per day Building 8,74,530representatives Tribal = 17491 (the yearwise

* No. of participants per break up of thismeeting is 60 cost will depend

on the no. ofCIGs formed

.__________ each year)

Six monthly * The state is divided into 2 Per Person 150 320 48000meeting of District regions of five districts per dayTribal each and I region of 6Development districts.Officers ' Meetings are held

between representatives inthe region

* Minimum no. ofparticipants per meeting is10 (2 Officers per district)

5.3.1 Cost Estimates for Cross Visits between successful tribal CIGs:

Based on the following assumptions:* 27 villages per block will be covered under the programme in five years.* 70 percent of the families in the selected villages will be covered.* A CIG comprises of five families.* 60 percent of the total number of CIGs formed are tribal* 10 percent of the total tribal CIGs are successful* The cross visits start from the second year of the commencement of the project.* Apart from the successful CIGs in the first year who go on cross visits in the second year,

only 70 percent of the total successful CIGs go for cross visits in the subsequent years.

We come to the conclusion that,> Total number of families covered by the programme is 145757.) Total number of CIGs formed is 29151.> Total number of tribal CIGs is 17491.> Total number of tribal CIGs formed per annum is 3239.> Number of successful CIGs per annum 324.

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Hence, the cost estimates for the cross visits of successful tribal CIGs are as following:Item Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

Number of Nil 324 648 972 1296successfulCIGs ___

Number of 162 277 340 454 1233cross visitsbased on theassumptionsTotal cost of 162000 277000 340000 454000 1233000cross visits@ Rs 1000per cross visit

5.4 Human Resource and Capacity Development

Capacity building at various levels is an integral part of DPRP. However, the specialdevelopment predicament of tribals in DPRP districts will call for special efforts to ensure thattribal community benefits fully from the project. Training and Skill Building Needs for tribaldevelopment exist at all levels of the project and these have been identified as under:

Level HRD Needs Potential SourcesCIG Land Issues PFT Team (after it has been trained by

officials of the Revenue Department)

Forest Issues / JFM PFT (after it has been trained by officialsfrom Forest Department)

PFTs Context of tribals in DPRP Government Department for tribaldistricts development.

Capable NGOs working in tribal areas

Land Issues Officers from Government RevenueLabour Issues Department

Labour Commissioner

Forestry Issues Forest Department

5.5 Programme and Sectoral Interventions

The District Level Social Assessments will be done to illustrate the social and economicconstraints faced by the vulnerable groups that the project will target. Given the present socio-economic set up, it is expected that DPRP's main interventions will target the following sectors.

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> NRM based livelihood development through agriculture, livestock, and forestry resources> Wage and Employment> Savings and Credit> Human Resource Development through training, awareness and skill building activities

Specific district level interventions in these will be designed keeping in mind the broadprinciples and pointers which are illustrated in annexure III.

5.6 Consultation:

Because it is demand driven (all investments must be chosen by the CIG members and not byoutsiders), the DPRP design itself meets the Bank policy requirement of ensuring plans, whichgives "full consideration to the option preferred by the indigenous people affected by theproject". However, where STs are a minority in a district or village, their views may not alwaysbe effectively heard in decision-making. Such concerns will be addressed before finalising thestrategy paper. The Government will hold public consultations to ensure that the draft of thetribal strategy paper is both feasible and acceptable to indigenous people.

Before the consultations, advance notice or advertisement (giving people a convenient locationwhere they can read the draft paper in an appropriate language) will be given to ensure thatpeople are aware of the opportunity to learn about the tribal development strategy and commenton the project. The advertisement, minutes of the consultations and the feedback generated bythe same done in the pilot project district, Bilaspur are appended in annexure IV.

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Annexure I

List of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh1. Agaria2. Aandh3. Baiga4. Bhaina5. Bharia, Bhoomiya, Bhiuhar, Bhunia, Faria, Pamila, Pando6. Bharta7. Bhil, Bhilala, Barela, Ptaclia8. Bhil Meena9. Bhuijia10. Bigar, Beayar1 1. Bhingiwar12. Birmul, Birhor13. Damor, Damrya14. Dhanwar15. Gdaba, Gadba16. Gond, Arkh, Aarkh, Agariya, Asur, Badimariya, Bada Mariya, Bhatola, Bhimma, Bhuta,

Koyla Bhuta, Koliya Bhuta, Bison Hornmariya, Chotta Mariya, Dandami Mariya,Dhuruva, Durva, Dhoba, Dhooliya, Doorla, Gayki, Gatta, Gatti, Gaeta, Goad, Gowari,Hill, Mariya, Kndra, Klangr, Khatola, Koitar, Kiya, Khikhar, Kucha Mariya, BuchkiMariya, Madiya, Mariya Mana, Mannewar, Modhya, Mogiya, Mondya, Mudiya, Muriya,Nagarchi, Nagvanshi, Ojha, Rajgond, Sonjhari, Ihareka, Thatiya, Vade Mariya, Droi.

17. Halbi18. Kamar19. Korku20. Kawar, Kavar, Kiur, Chekha, Rathia, Tanvar, Chattri21. Khervar, Kondar22. Kharia23. Kond, Kand24. Kol25. Komal26. Korku, Bovchi, Movsi, Nihal, Nahul, Bodhi, Bodiyo27. Korva, Kodaku28. Majhi29. Majhwar30. Maawasi31. Munda32. Nagasiya33. Oraon, Dhanka, Dhangadh34. Pav35. pardhan, Pathari, Sroti36. Pardhi, Bhaliya, Bhoaliya, Chitta Pardhi, Langooli, Pardhi, Faans Pardhi, Shikari,

Takankar

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37. Prja38. Sahariya, Sahwariya, Sahria, Sahaeriya, Sosiys,Sor39. Saonta, Soonta40. Saur41. Sawar42. Sonra

Annexure 11

List of Primitive Tribes in Chhattisgarh

1. Abujhmariya2. Baiga3. Phadi Korwa4. Bhariya (Patalkot)5. Sahriya6. Kamar7. Bihor

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Annexure III

Expected District Level Interventions

1. Agriculture and Allied Activities

Investments in sustainable land and water resources development: Tribal farmerspractice cultivation under adverse and uncertain conditions. The small land holdings are poorquality, marginal and rainfed. There is poor potential to invest in the improvement of landproductivity thus returns are low and unassured. In order to close the investment gap andcontribute to long term, sustainable improvement in productivity activities, the followingmay be considered as priority CIG activities:

> Land levelling, reclamation, bunding and fertility management of privateholdings.

> Common and/or individual farm family level water resource development throughwells, harvesting structures and creation of additional provision for localizedprotective irrigation.

CIGs will be encouraged to access technical guidance from within the project or externallyfor the planning and implementation of these proposals.

Improving Extension Services and Input Provision: Agriculture extension services arerather underdeveloped in Chhattisgarh and these are at their thinnest in locations where tribalcultivate their marginal lands. There is little technology dissemination and adoption byfarmers and basic provisioning of seeds and inputs is absent. DPRP will support proposalsfrom CIGs of tribal resource poor farmers interested in undertaking any of the following orallied activities, if received.

> Identification and hiring in of village based Para-Extension Workers (PEWs) byCIGs for providing counselling and technical guidance to tribal farmers. ThesePEWs will need to be equipped with basic technical information and will serve asa link between farmers and sources of inputs and technology. Para ExtensionWorkers may also be identified by more than one CIG in order to ensure moreefficient and cost effective coverage. The DPRP project team will help in buildingthe capacities of such village based workers identified and/or recruited by CIGsthrough linking with sources of training, technology and inputs.

> CIGs may formulate proposals for group-based provision of draught power andagriculture implements, which may be supported by DPRP.

> CIG may also take up the management of decentralized seeds and fertilizer retailand distribution outlets undertaking collective procurement and timelydistribution and will hence, overcome cost disadvantages.

Promoting diversification to horticulture and livestock: Agriculture change strategiesamong small, marginal and resource poor farmers cannot rest alone on improving cropproduction. The limits to land holdings make it difficult to stretch crop husbandry beyond a

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level and hence, diversification becomes imperative. Inability to invest and lack of access totechnology hampers the move on small farmers' part to diversify their land-based production.DPRP will assist in closing this gap if proposals are received from CIGs of tribal farmfamilies for horticulture and livestock development.

There are well-established experiments in maximizing returns from limited land, water andlivestock resources and these need to be adapted at least on a pilot basis in the DPRPdistricts. The strategy focused on pooling together resources for inputs, diversifying tohorticulture and livestock rearing and ensuring on-farm value addition to production. Itcombined private initiative with collective decision making in order to optimise use ofresources, ma5ximize group returns and derive benefits from scale. Elements of this initiativemay be studied further by cross visits by interested and willing CIGs.

Food Security: Maximizing food security among tribal families will receive encouragementfrom the project on receipt of such proposals and will form the core of its support toagriculture and allied interventions by the farmers organized as CIGs. In order to protect thetribal population from food shortage and hence turning to "distress" purchases in the leanseasons, the DPRP will respond favourably to CIG proposals and actions in the followingdirection:

* Revitalizing PDS in tribal villages. This will entail liaisoning by the DPRP project teamstogether with, lobbying by CIGs with local administration.

* Establishment of community managed grain banks also to be used for purposes of seedsupply.

* Bulk purchase and stocking of food grain through the use of gram kosh generated byCIGs.

Forestry: A large number of Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFPs) are collected by tribalsacross the state as in the DPRP districts. The most important of the NTFPs are nationalizedand these include tendu patta, sal seeds, gum and harra. Collection and marketing of

nationalised products is carried out by the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest ProduceCooperative Federation. The important non nationalized forest products include imli, kasa,awla, kusum, lac, honey, chiraunji, mahua flower, bahera and safed musli, all of which are

found in the DPRP areas of tribal concentration. Typically, the market rates for theseproducts come down at the time of collection and increase immediately after it.

DPRP will be willing to extend the support to tribal CIGs for enhancing returns from forestryactivities on receipt of such proposals through the following kind of interventions:

Advancing capital to CIGs who wish to stock and store local NTFPs at the time ofcollection. This will ensure that the collectors are able to release their produce at amore favourable time and gain better prices.

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* Making linkages for technical advice and providing financial support for valueaddition of NTFPs through simple processing.

* Ascertaining market linkages for NTFPs.

Market interventions surrounding NTFPs inherently carry some risk and to minimize this, it isproposed that NTFP based proposals are encouraged selectively and appraised carefully by theproject for their viability. The project may make pilot grants to CIGs in the initial year with aclear emphasis on improving learning and experience building in NTFP operations both at theproject and CIG level.

Land alienation, security of tenure and ownership: All land based interventions such asproposed in DPRP assume that the tribal families have secure access and entitlement to land.This is not true in many cases and the tribals (together with other vulnerable groups such as SCs)operate land under persistent threat of dispossession from powerful landed upper class elite,insecure tenure arrangements, unfair share cropping systems pitted against the tenants. Theseunlawful practices are a manifestation of the social inequities and they serve to keep the ruralpoor in chronic poverty and deprivation. Further, these erode the stakes that the poor have inimprovement of their land resources and present the biggest challenge to long-term change intheir status.

Yet there are issues that can be addressed by a sympathetic and sensitive DPRP project staff.Access to Government revenue records can be made easy by a process of awareness raising andtraining of social animators in revenue record keeping. Action on these fronts is possible withoutany serious intra community conflict. It will help in building the credibility of DPRP in its targetsegment and will establish it as different from other programmes.

It is therefore proposed that:

. DPRP project teams will be sensitised to land issues in their respective regions.Residential trainings focusing specifically on land issues will be organized. An agencywith a good record of working on land issues will be invited to provide resource support.If any field team has the inclination to take up more intensive work on land issues, it willbe supported by the top management. Work on these issues will be counted as legitimateproject work.

* The PFTs will be required to survey instances of land alienation and exploitative tenurialpractices pitted against tribal farmers in their clusters. This data may be used informulating realistic plans for investments under DPRP and for any long-term action bythe project for working on these issues. PFT members may be sensitised to reportingexploitative practices.

* The project teams may liaison with local administration for land allotment to landlesslabourers and assist CIGs in making representations for the same.

2. Wage labour and Employment

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The analysis of occupational classifications of tribal population in the state as a whole and forDPRP districts in particular, clearly demonstrates that wage labour is a major component oflivelihood for tribals. Limited land resources and virtual landlessness among large sectionsmakes it imperative for them to seek wage labour on farms in cities and industrial areas furtherafield. Reports indicate that while Gond and Kanwar tribes own some land, others are largelylandless.

Deep-rooted social inequities and political realities work towards extensive exploitation of triballabour. Wage rates are low and differentiated between men and women. Even in agriculturallyadvanced areas, immigration keeps the wage rates depressed. Widespread incidence of bondedlabour has been reported both from Janjgir-Champa and Raipur districts. This is an area in whichGovernment poverty alleviation programmes do not normally intervene.

Migration is a common strategy for survival. Migrant workers toil under harsh and difficultconditions. While there exists Government legislation to ensure minimum rights of this categoryof workers, this is observed more after it is breached.

It is hence, recommended that: -

* Project teams of DPRP are sensitised to labour issues through training programmes andresource material on the subject. Special programmes should be organized for providingtraining in identification of bondage and minimum wage issues so that the project teamsare equipped to respond to situations that will need action at the CIG level.

* Survey and identification of tribal families in virtual bondage or indentured labour will bemade by the PFTs. Incidence of labour among children will be particularly identified andacted upon.

* Careful costing of labour component in CIG proposals will be ensured such that labour isnot under priced and reflects appropriate returns. Proposals from tribal CIGs, which entaila labour component and seek to improve productive assets of the members through theuse of own labour, will be particularly encouraged.

* The provision of contribution in development projects is often misused to pay lower thanofficial minimum wages to labourers. DPRP should develop a contribution policy thatdoes not leave any scope for this practice. It is recommended that there should be nocontribution in kind for public works. All contribution should be in cash prior to start ofwork. For individual works also a policy should be devised which does not allow ownersto pay lower than the minimum wages to outside labourers.

* Pilot studies will be undertaken in selected blocks to understand the movement of labourand to identify possible strategy for pushing up wage rates.

* In clusters where there is significant migration for wage labour, options to alleviate thehardships associated with migration will be considered. Thus, if children are also

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migrating and therefore not able to access a school, a mobile school may be supported.Similarly, if any special support is needed for the children and women who are leftbehind, this may be provided.

3. Education and Health

Education and health are priority areas of social development for tribal communities and gains inthese will result in long-term socio-economic change. There are other significant initiatives inthese sectors such as DPEP in education and RCH in public health and DPRP will not duplicateefforts or investments made under these programmes.

As a general principal, such proposals from CIGs that seek funds for education and health relatedactivities would be justified if they represent a genuine gap in the available services andresources. However, as an area programme with a wide village level institutional base, DPRPwill also be in a good position to contribute to the effectiveness of the existing programmes inthe following manner:

* Project teams will assist in dissemination of information on these programmes to CIGsthrough meetings. Plans developed by these programmes that relate to the DPRP villageswill be collected by the DPRP project teams in order to be informed and identifyopportunities for linkages and collaboration.

* As a critical contribution in the health sector, DPRP will respond favourably to CIGproposals for provision of safe drinking water in tribal settlements. Project teams canassist CIGs to source other existing schemes for provision of safe drinking water. Similarsupport may be made available by the project teams in linking up with safe motherhoodservices being provided by existing departmental and /or special projects in the DPRPareas.

DPRP will invite and encourage NGOs to initiate innovative, need-based activities to close thegap in educational and health services in tribal areas. DPRP may help the NGOs access fundsand help them to link up with CIGs as the village institutional base for their work.