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Tribal Development Framework/DPIP II
Madhya Pradesh District Poverty Initiatives Project-II
Dated: 21.12.2008
Prepared by:
State Project Support Unit-MPDPIP
Panchayat and Rural Development Department
Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal
Abbreviations
A/V – Audio Visual
AAY – Antyodaya Ann Yojna
ANC – Ante Natal Checkups
ANM – Auxiliary Nurse Midwife
BPL – Below Poverty Line
CBO – Community Based Organization
CC Road – Cement Concrete Road
CEO – Chief Executive Officers
CEO-JP - Chief Executive Officers – Janpad Panchayat
CEO-ZP - Chief Executive Officers – Zila Panchayat
CHC – CommunityHealthCenter
CIG – Common Interest Group
Deptt.- Department
DPSU – District Project Support Unit
DRDA – District Rural Development Agency
EAS – Employment Assurance Scheme
EC – Executive Committee
EPVG – Extremely Poor and Vulnerable Group
FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization
FGD – Focused Group Discussion
GB – General Body
GDP – Gross Domestic Product
GEN - General
GoMP – Government of Madhya Pradesh
HDI – Human Development Index
HH – House Hold
HQ – Head Quarters
IAY – Indira Awaas Yojna
ICDS – Integrated Child Development Scheme
IEC – Information Education and Communication
IFAD – International Fund for Agriculture Development
IMR – Infant Mortality Rate
IRDP – Integrated Rural Development Program
IT – Information Technology
JFM – JointForest Management
JRY – Jawahar Rozgar Yojna
KCC – Kisan Credit Card
Kg - Kilogram
Km, KM - Kilometers
M&E – Monitoring and Evaluation
M&L – Monitoring and Learning
MADA – Modified Area development Approach
MDM – Mid-Day- Meal
MFF – Microfinance Federation
MFI – Micro Finance Institution
MMR – Maternal Mortality Rate
MP – Madhya Pradesh
MP DPIP – Madhya Pradesh District Poverty Initiatives Project
MP HDR – Madhya Pradesh Human Development Report
MPRLP – Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihood Project
NABARD – National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
NFBS – National Family Benefit Scheme
NGO – Non-Government Organization
NH – National Highway
NOAP – National Old Age Pension
NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
NRHM – National Rural Health Mission
NSDP – NetState Domestic Product
NSS – National Sample Survey
NTFP – Non-TimberForest Produce
OBC – Other Backward Class
P&RD – Panchayat and Rural Development
PDS – Public Distribution System
PFT – Project Facilitation Team
PHC – PrimaryHealthCenter
PHED – Public Health and Engineering Department
PMGSY – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna
PRA – Participatory Rural Appraisal
PRI – Panchyati Raj Institution
PTG – Primitive Tribal Group
RCH – Reproductive and Child Health
RGWM – Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission
RLEGP – Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Program
RRB – Regional Rural Bank
SC – Scheduled Caste
SDP – State Domestic Product
SEZ – Special Economic Zone
SGDP – State Gross Domestic Product
SGRY- Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojna
SGSY- Swarnajayanti Grameen Swarozgar Yojna
SHC – Sub-HealthCenter
SHG – Self Help Group
SHG LP – Self Help Group Livelihood Plan
SPSU – State Project Support Unit
SSA – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
ST – Scheduled Tribe
TDP – Tribal Development Plan
TSC – Total Sanitation Campaign
TSP – Tribal Sub-Plan
TV – Tele Vision
UNDP – United Nations Development Program
VDC – Village Development Committee
VRP – Village Resource Person
WCD –Watershed development Committee
WDC – Women and Child Development Department
I.TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR MP DPIP II
1.1Introduction
Madhya Pradesh has significant population of Scheduled Tribes[1] (STs). As per the 2001 Census, the STs Population stood at 23.3% of the total population and occupied approximately 40% of the land in the state. The STs are dominantly present in 5 districts and have not-so-significant to significant presence in 40 other districts. The state is home to three primitive tribal groups (PTGs) as well.
This strategy document outlines the context of tribal population’s socio-economic and development status in Madhya Pradesh and presents a plan to address these within the framework of the MP DPIP Phase II.
The 14 districts selected under the MP DPIP II fall outside the Scheduled Areas and exhibit dispersed concentration of the tribal populations. Demographically, as mentioned elsewhere, except for Sidhi district where tribal population is around 29 %, all other project districts reported to have below 15% of tribal populations against the total number of inhabitants there. Nonetheless, the tribal population, given their current status as among the poorest, marginalized and vulnerable, these districts warrant specific attention to bring in social, economic and political changes to make their lives better.
This tribal development strategy document is recognition by the state government of the fact that benefits from programs and schemes intended for the tribal do not reach them automatically. Thus, deliberate, strategic measures and proactive regimes have to combine with relevant programs in order to ensure that benefits actually accrue to the vulnerable sections such as the tribals.
Accordingly, this document sets out an agenda of action for the DPIP II and identifies measures and provisions intended to protect and enhance the participation of and benefit to the tribal communities in the selected project districts. The Social assessment commissioned by the SPMU has highlighted the fact that the tribals in the project districts are amongst the poorest and marginalized communities. Further, the assessment has analyzed the special predicament of these communities and possibilities of interventions in their favour within the framework of the project. This document further delineates the broad principles and programmatic intervention with specific activities, institutional arrangement for their implementation, monitoring and budget.
This Tribal Development Framework (TDF) for the MP DPIP II has been prepared on the basis of the learning acquired from the experiences of the DPIP I, various documentation works undertaken during the same phase and the report and recommendations of the Social Assessment commissioned and carried out by the SPMU, MP DPIP II. The TDF, like the Social assessment, adopted the inclusive and participatory consultative processes and it has ‘Informed Consent’ of all key stakeholders including the tribal communities, civil society and media besides various line departments of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Under the Disclosure Policy, the Social Assessment report and the Tribal Development Framework has been disclosed and discussed with the key stakeholders as mentioned above. During the Social assessment, village level consultations were conducted in all cases social and resource maps were developed through inclusive and participatory processes. Out of the 10 villages studied for the purpose, six villages had a tribal population of more than 60% of the total population. Further, two consultations with the key stakeholders including the representatives of tribal communities were organized – one in Sagar and the other in Bhopal. This TDF document has incorporated all suggestions and recommendations made during the two consultations. Further, as per the Communication Strategy of the project, all such documents will be put on the project website to reach out to all concerned and interested people.
1.2The Context of the Tribal Communities in Madhya Pradesh: An Overview
The state of Madhya Pradesh is home to the largest number of tribal anywhere in the country. Not only are the tribals, large in numbers, they are also extremely diverse in location, origins, socio-cultural history, language, livelihood and level of development.
With the exception of some isolated tribes which continue to be in the food gathering stage, settled cultivation is the dominant mode of occupation for tribals. However forests continue to be a significant source of livelihood. This is a result of the historical pattern of settlement whereby the tribal communities reside in forested areas. The areas of tribal concentration in Madhya Pradesh can be classified as under:
North Eastern Zone: Comprising of Shahdol, Sidhi and areas of other adjoining district the primarily hilly north eastern zone is the abode to the Oraons, Korwa, Kol, Kamar and Panika tribes. The area has number of primitive tribes such as Korwa-s and smaller groups of Baiga and Bhaina-s.
Central Zone: Mandla, Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat and Mandla together with parts of other districts form this pocket of tribal concentration. The area is also hilly and well forested in parts. Gond, Korku, Kol and Baiga are the prominent tribal groups of this zone.
Western Zone: This zone comprises Jhabua, Dhar, Khargone, Khandwa, Ratlam and parts of adjacent districts. Some parts of the area have seen sharp degradation but forest tracts survive in Ratlam and Dhar. Bhils, Bhilala, Patlia and Barela are the main tribal communities of the state.
North West Zone: Sahariyas are the main tribal groups in the districts of Shivpuri, Morena, Guna and other parts of adjoining districts. Proportion of tribal population is low compared to other zones. The area has rich forest cover remaining in some belts of Shivpuri and Guna.
Numerically the Gonds are the largest tribe of MP followed by Bhils. Kol, Kawar and Oraon are the other significant tribes. There are a few sections, such as among Gonds and Korkus, who, by virtue of their location and entitlement, have derived benefits of settled agriculture under favorable conditions and have also sought to assert a higher social identity. However for most tribal, settlements are along hill tracts, forests or marginal lands; social status and economic endowment are low and precarious.
The HDR for MP illustrates that for the state as a whole 24.7% of all land holdings are owned by tribal cultivators and this constitutes 25.2% of the total land under cultivation. Considering that the tribal population accounts for 23.3% of the total population this distribution may appear to be equitable. This is however not correct since the state averages are pushed up by the land ownership patterns in a few tribal dominant districts such as Jhabua, Shahdol, Dhar and Ratlam – though all outside the project area. Further, in all cases the quality of lands held and tilled by tribal is the least productive. This is a result of the historical pattern of settlement where tribal have come to inhabit the marginal lands in hills around cultivated tracts. Proportion of cultivated land to total geographical area is low in tribal areas. Incidence of irrigation is also low. Even in tribal areas, often the best quality lands are held by non tribal.
Following are the main development indicators that highlight the problems and challenges facing the tribal communities in the state including the 14 project districts.
1.3Literacy
The level of literacy especially in STs is low in all the DPIP districts. Average literacy rates vary from a high of 64.4 percent in Narsimhapur district to a low of 29.1 percent in Chhatarpur. In fact the Sahariya (PTG) belt of Shivpuri and Guna has the lowest literacy rates among female. Only the district of Narsimhapur has female literacy more than 50 percent.
1.4Forestry and Tribal
The forests of the state are rich in timber and non-timber forest produce. These have been traditionally collected, processed and sold by the tribal and form an important source of cash income for them. Estimates indicate that nearly 100 million person days of employment are generated in the forestry sector and the largest share (70%) of these accrues to the tribal residents of the forest areas. Yet the forests present a precarious livelihood source for the tribal.
With legal trade in timber highly restricted, most employment generation in forestry takes place through collection and sale of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). The five most important NTFPs are nationalized with Madhya Pradesh State Minor Forest Produce Co-operative Federation having monopoly rights of collection. The federation undertakes collection of nationalized NTFPs through primary cooperative societies. The most important NTFP from livelihood generation point of view is tendu patta. Headloading of firewood around towns is frequent and provides critical income to poor households.
The State Government has accepted the responsibility of meeting the forest produce requirements of people living around forest areas. This is called 'nistaar'. Under nistaar, the Forest Department supplies fuel and fodder requirements of villagers at lower rates. The latest Nistar policy of the government promulgated in 1994 restricts this facility to villagers located within five km of forest boundary.
Forests continue to be an important source of livelihood for tribal in spite of increasing degradation. In DPIP areas, but for the two districts of Shajapur and Rajgarh, rest all 12 districts have more than 10 percent area under forest cover.
In fact half the districts have more than 20 percent area under forest. The tribal population in DPIP districts is concentrated in areas with forest. Forests provide subsistence items like grass/ grazing for domestic animals and firewood. They also provide cash income through sale of NTFPs collected by the tribal.
1.5Labor and Employment
The census 2001 reveals that for the state as a whole, the STs constitute 24% of the main worker force. They are predominantly engaged in activities in primary sector - agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry related activities. Given the low productive asset base in terms of land and livestock and few options for self employment, wage labor forms an important component of the tribal’s economy in the state. The overwhelming source of wage labor for tribal is agriculture operations. In addition forestry, mining and quarrying, and construction are the other important consumers of tribal labor.
The quest for wage labor has guided the tribal poor to urban centers and regions of high agriculture production which provide opportunities for wage labor. Thus the Western tribal belts of Jhabua Ratlam witness heavy migration to Gujarat on one side and Malwa on the other after the monsoons are over. Young women also migrate (though in lesser numbers) alongside adult men leaving behind the elderly and children in homesteads. Employment is available in agriculture, public works, and construction. The wage labor available is casual and completely determined by vagaries of market forces.
Active participation by women in manual labor is a feature of rural societies everywhere. This is even more so for tribal society which is unhindered by caste taboos that place restrictions on women’s mobility for wage labor. It is common to find tribal women going out on their own for wage labor on public works and to towns. While men folk cut and gather fuel, it is often the women who bring it into urban centers for sales.
1.6Legal and Policy Framework for Tribal Communities in MP
The Constitution of India makes special provisions for tribal. It lists out predominantly tribal areas in Section 1 of Schedule 244 that are referred to as Scheduled Areas. Similarly Schedule 342 gives state-wise list of communities to be designated as Scheduled Tribes. Following widespread cases of atrocities against members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the Center has passed Prevention of Atrocities (SC and ST) Act. This Act stipulates stringent punishment to those who commit atrocities against any tribal.
In addition to the above significant act the main State Acts intended to protect the interests of tribal in MP are as follows:
1.6.1Forest Rights Act[2]:The law concerns the rights of forest dwelling communities to land and other resources, denied to them over decades. The act is aimed at giving ownership rights over forestland to traditional forest dwellers. As the act came into force much recently in 2007 the effectiveness and impacts of the act could not be seen or felt in any of the districts where the social assessment was carried out.
The Act grants four types of rights:
Title rights - i.e. ownership - to land that is being farmed by tribals or forest dwellers as on December 13, 2005, subject to a maximum of 4 hectares; ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family as on that date, meaning that no new lands are granted ;
Use rights - to minor forest produce (also including ownership), to grazing areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.;
Relief and development rights - to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection;
Forest management rights - to protect forests and wildlife.
The implementation status report shows that only around 8000 land deeds have been handed over to the tribals whereas more than 200,000 applications are pending in various district offices of the state.
1.6.2 MP Land Revenue Code 1959 : This Act governs tenancy regulation in MP. Section 170 (A) & (B) of this Code place restrictions on transfer of agricultural land owned by tribal to non tribal. The transfer is completely prohibited in TSP Areas. In non TSP areas, transfer is possible only with the permission of the District Collector.
1.6.3MP Excise Act : Sections in this Act permit tribal to brew liquor for their personal consumption and for use at social occasions. The relaxation is given keeping in mind the traditional place of liquor in the social life of tribal.