Sayantan BanerjeeShah Sahil HitenShankar Manohar Vinuth RajShanmugnathan Shashank ShekharShashank YadavShersha SheriefShivam Nath GaurShivabalan DShubham GoyalSidharth MahajanSirsendu MukherjeeSonawane PrathmeshSoumendu Sarkar

GROUP 37: District Sidhi

INTRODUCTIONSidhi district, a district of Madhya Pradesh, is located on the north eastern boundary of the state between 22.475oN to 24.421oN and 81.184oE to 82.483oE. The district is bounded by Singrauli in the east, Rewa on the North and Satna and Shahdol on the west. The state of Chhattisgarh flanks its southern boundary. As per the latest census of 2011, a population of 11,26,515 spawns the 10536 Sq. Km of the district. Having a sex ratio of 952 to 1000, Sidhi has a very low literacy rate of around 66.09%.The town of Sidhi is the district headquarters. It is divided into six blocks. Rampur, Kusmi, Sihawal, Churhat, Gopad Banas and Majhauli. This district is one of the most backward districts of the state.

ECONOMY OF SIDHIAgriculture holds a major portions in the economy of Sidhi District, it forms parts of the hills and plateau of the Kaimour range of mountains. About 87% of the employment in the district is provided by agriculture. The percentage of working population is 43.80% of total population but majority of the working population is unskilled and are unemployed in the primary sector. They work on either on their own land or as contract labourers, the level of unemployment is quite high which results in huge amount of migration of people to nearest district, town and cities in search of employment. The portion of land used for agriculture is 47 %, major portion of land is dependent on rain fed irrigation. The banks of rivers like Son and the Gopad have fertile soil.A. Tourist PlacesThe Sidhi district host a few tourist places which include forest cover, water resources and Songhariyal which hosts a variety alligators and crocodiles.Forests area cover around 40% of the area of the district, the forest cover consist a mix of dense canopied forest, open forest and mixed tropical forests. The Son, Gopad and the Banas are the 3 perennial rivers flowing through the district. Apart from these government has developed some artificial tanks and maintained them serving both the purpose of tourist attraction spot and source of irrigation

B. InstitutionsThe Sidhi district suffers from lack of vocational training institutes, there are very few training and polytechnic institute which helps local people in enhancing their skills. The co-operative bank exists but no other form of co-operative institution exists in the district.

C. AnalysisThe district of Sidhi is underdeveloped due to many reasons few of them being jagirdari system, which was followed in the past, uneconomic or little land holding of the marginalised community. The region was under feudal system in the past, the mindset still prevails among the masses, which results in a lack of awareness and motivation among people. This acts as a barrier to the numerous welfare schemes that the government offers.Programs implemented by the districtBeing one the most ill developed districts of the state with virtually nothing to boost its economy properly, Sidhi is not well maintained by the residents themselves. The basic schemes which are mandated by the central government are put up in this district, that too half-heartedly without any proper zeal for maintenance. No special schemes unique to the district has been put up in recently.Visits by the GroupOur group of 14 visited different schools in the district of Sidhi spread across all the six blocks to look into the implementation of the Mid Day Meal Schemes and Toilets in Schools. Also the way the Indira Awas Yojna was implemented across the district was another point of observation for our team. We visited around 25 schools and talked to the authorities and the children about the schemes. In the same blocks we also met more than 40 people who were recipients of the Indira Awas Yojna Scheme over the past few years.A. Government School Visits for Mid Day MealThis was something implemented by the government to ensure that children came to school regularly. This not only provided meals to children and gave them an incentive to go to school, but proper implementation of the scheme would mean employment to a large number of people as well who were involved in making the food and maintaining it throughout.a. Observations: While in some schools, the authorities were very much dedicated and ensured strict adherence to the menu and hygiene, but there were many instances where the menu was a secondary thing. Children ate their food in dusty environment and washed their plates themselves with only water. Proper drinking water facility was not available in many schools. But among all these drawbacks, there were many schools which deserve special mention. There were teachers who actually looked after the fact that the children washed their hands with soaps before and after finishing their meal.b. Problems:i. Lack of adherence to menu in many schoolsii. Lack of Hygiene and proper dining areaiii. No designated persons to wash the dishes regularlyiv. Cooks do not get salary timely and it demotivates them from workingv. Many items are not made or not available for long periods of times.c. Positives:i. High attendance in schools in spite of low infrastructureii. Students have a willingness to go to school and parents have a reason to send them to school instead of to the fieldsiii. Many people are employed in the process and dedicated workers ensure proper health and hygiene.iv. More children are nourished better than what they would be if they were to work in fields.

B. Visits to Government Schools for Presence of ToiletsThis scheme was introduced in schools by the government keeping in mind the female students who go to school. The presence of a covered toilet ensured the privacy of the students and also catered to the health and hygiene need of the surrounding environment of a school.a. Observations: None of the schools in the district had proper functional toilets let alone a maintained one. In many schools, the condition was so bad, that the road up to the toilet was covered in overgrown weeds and shrubs.b. Problems: i. Lack of maintenanceii. Lack of a sweeper to clean the toilets.iii. No guards to take care of the school and ensure that doors and windows of toiles and classes are not broken away.iv. No proper plumbing system to ensure supply and flow of water to the schoolc. Suggestions:i. Enclose the school with a proper boundary wall.ii. Keep a security guard to look after the school when it is not running.iii. Establish a plumbing system and ensure water supply to maintain clean toiletsiv. Recruit a sweeper for every school to clean the toilets on at least a weekly basis. C. Indira Avas Yojna IAY has evolved from variety of governments schemes of poverty upliftment and rehabilitation into an independent scheme in 1996 IAY aims to provide affordable, concrete houses to people below poverty line Government provides monetary, land as well as technical help to people below poverty line which varies according to backwardness of district and state Based on the new directions provided for 2013-14 screening for people eligible for IAY is done based on census of 2011 The scheme is a central level scheme and funding is provided from centre and state funds. For house funding is done in ratio of 75:25 and 90:10 (centre: state) depending upon backwardness of state. If funding is to be provided for purchasing land then that is done in ratio of 50:50 Panchayats are directed to help in screening of candidates and the district office selects the candidates to be benefited through this scheme and arranges for funds of each candidate Funds are provided in parts to ensure desired use of money. After initial allocation new funds are provided only after selected candidates reach a certain level of constructing house.

a. ObservationsThe visits to the various rural areas in the district led us to the following observations:i. Every village has a sarpanch, to whom people in the village apply for availing the Awas Yojana, every year.ii. The sarpanch selects 5 applicants every year based on their financial needs and requirements for funding in order to build a pucca house.iii. These names are then forwarded to the Zilla Panchayat, who after verification, confirm the applicants who would be funded.iv. The person then withdraws this amount from the bank and uses it to build their houses upto a certain extent.v. On completion of this first phase of building, pictures are taken by the villagers and sent to the Zilla Panchayat, who after verification accordingly credit a second instalment for the next building phase.vi. If pictures are not sent or houses not built in the first phase, then the second instalment is not paid.vii. Our observations led us to the conclusion that most often the BPL people and the widows are successful in availing this scheme.

b. Problemsi. It was observed that not all of the people who were awarded the first instalment have successfully gone on to implement the scheme and build pucca houses.ii. Our visits also revealed that many villagers are not aware of this scheme.iii. Often the villagers keep the first instalment in the bank untouched as they wish to increase their balance by accumulating interest.iv. Many build the houses and give them on rent, while they themselves stay in mud houses, increasing their disposable income.v. The sarpanch of certain villages show favourism towards their close associates and grant them this scheme instead of other more eligible applicantsvi. Many villagers do not have the land to build a house, hence they cant take advantage of this scheme.vii. The first instalment often goes to waste as government officials hardly keep track of the implementation post the payment.c. How it helps??i. The applicants who receive the grants are mostly old aged people and widows, who benefits as pucca houses provide them with the necessary security.ii. It also instils faith in the mind of the villagers that the government is there to help them when required.iii. A pucca house protects villagers from natural calamities.iv. Electricity and water via taps can be better provisioned in pucca houses.d. Suggestions?i. It should be checked whether the applicants who are granted the scheme have the land, otherwise the intended use of the money is never achieved.ii. A government official could take part in the decision along with the sarpanch about who should be given the scheme, to improve transparency in process.iii. A personal talk and observation of the people may help the government to realise whether the person would actually be able to implement the scheme.iv. For maintenance of the, small amounts shall be paid by the government.v. Greater awareness about the programme can be spread through electronic media and via newspapers, or through skits performed in the rural areas.vi. A deadline for completion of the first phase shall be set, else the amount paid shall be forfeited if proper reasons for non-implementation are not presented.

Suggestions Increase awareness among the people about the various schemes available to them by the government. Make sure that implemented schemes are maintained by appointing personnel and infrastructure necessary like watchmen in schools and proper boundaries in schools. Increase accountability of people in authority to better implement the schemes. Train people to maintain the schemes implemented in various areas at different times. Have a mix of people from the village sarpanch and the zilla panchayat to select people for IAY and to look after the execution of MDM in schools.