Berhampur: Over five lakh residents in Ganjam district have migrated in the last couple of decades due to lack of industrial development, sources said Tuesday. They said that both the Centre and successive state governments are responsible for the migration of residents of the district. Despite the state being ruled by both Congress and non-Congress governments, this district have never benefitted, the sources who belong to a number of trade and labour unions pointed out.
Locals informed that this district is predominantly agriculture-oriented where cultivation is the mainstay of the residents. However, none of the governments in the last 50 years has taken any steps for establishment of agriculture-based industries despite presence of a conducive atmosphere and necessary infrastructure. Cases in point is the Aska cooperative sugar mill built in the British era. It is in sick condition and is in urgent need of revival.
A cooperative cotton mill was running in the district but is now shut. Locals pointed out that during election campaigns, various parties blame each other for the impasse in industrialisation. They also promise to revive the sick industries. However, once the elections are over, the vows are forgotten. The Centre-owned Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL) was established long back near the district headquarters of Chhatrapur. The rare black sand produced by IERL is exported to various foreign countries. However, it does not operate smoothly, sources said. There is a port at Gopalpur, but both the Centre and the state government have failed to transform it into an all-weather one. Hence locals are losing out on work, sources added.
During the UPA government, the Centre announced that it was planning to set up a wagon factory at Sitalapalli near this town. Funds were also sanctioned. However, it was cancelled when the NDA government came to power in 2014. With it thousands of people who had hoped for jobs at the factory vanished. Similarly, a survey was conducted in 2009 for the construction of a new rail route from Gopalpur to Rayagada district.
The survey was completed in time and the Union Finance Commission also prepared a plan outlay for the project. Since then 15 years have elapsed, but the project is still stuck in the survey stage. Had the Centre taken steps for construction of the tracks, it would have ushered employment for thousands and would have connected many tribal-dominated villages in both Ganjam and Rayagada districts, locals opined Development of the railway tracks would have also enabled Nalco to send its products to Gopalpur port through wagons. This would have facilitated industrial growth, locals opined. The lack of industrial growth is having an adverse impact on the economy of the district, they added.
