Increasing cases of mental illnesses among women in Jharkhand have become a cause of concern for doctors and psychiatrists here.

Records available with Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Applied Sciences (Rinpas) show that in six months at least 100 such patients visited the hospital daily seeking counselling.

Amool Ranjan Singh, the head of psychiatry department at Rinpas, said: "The number of mental ailment cases among women is on the rise. It is mainly due to change in lifestyle and as women are finding it increasingly difficult to balance work and home."

A four-year record at the institute shows that there has been a huge increase. In 2001-02, 16,175 women were treated for mental ailments. This figure rose to 39,769 in 2006-07 while in 2007-08 a total of 48,515 came for help. The 2008-09 record stands at 52,000 who were treated for depression and other psychosomatic diseases.

"The rural women coming from towns like Gumla, Pakur, Garhwa and Khunti are mostly labourers who are victims of physical assault, sexual and alcohol abuse while the urban populace come from elite and affluent background and are troubled by impotency, family life and high work pressure," said S.K. Choudhary, an associate professor at the institute.

But Rinpas is doing its bit by organising camps and counselling sessions in villages and cities and distributing free medicines among patients, said Ashok Kumar Nag, the director of Rinpas.

Ranchi, July 14: Telegraph

A. The Project

The Jharkhand (JH) State Highway Project entails the upgradation and improvement of the existing State roads of Jharkhand with ADB assistance under the ADB's Country Operations Business Plan (2007-2009). The project will rehabilitate the deteriorated and damaged state road corridors to provide reliable road transport services and hence reduce poverty in the long term. The Executing Agency (EA) for this project will be the Jharkhand State Road Construction Department (JHRCD) which is responsible for about 6800 kms roads consisting of NH's, SH's and District roads.

In accordance with ADB's procedure for Project lending, a project road has been selected in the state of JH for project preparation and processing. This subproject comprises of the upgradation of the State highway section of Gobindpur – Jamtara – Dumka – Barhet – Sahebganj comprising of a total length of 310.7 kms, traversing through a total of six districts in the state. This existing road will be converted into a 2 lane State Highway under the Project.

B. Project Benefits and Impacts

The Project will augment connectivity between the six districts (Dhanbad, Jamtara, Dumka, Deoghar, Pakur and Sahibganj) and will lead to the easy accessibility of the local people to essential socio-economic services such as health care, education, administrative services and trade centres enhancing the general quality of life. One of the key problems faced by the local people presently is the lack of means of transport, as very few public transport ply on these roads due to the poor road condition. The limited transport vehicles that do ply charge nearly double fare particularly making accessing socio-economic services difficult for the poor communities in the area. The Project, by improving road condition, is anticipated to improve access and transport options manifold thereby benefiting the locals particularly the poor. The Package IV from Barhet to Sahibganj is the shortest package of the total project corridor; whic takes off from Barhet, passes through Borio and reaches Sahibganj. The sub project corridor in this package passes through tribal village like Kadma, Sonajori etc, where availability of ROW is narrow.

As part of the Project, the existing road in Package IV would be improved and widened to standard two lane entailing a total widening of 30 meters. Taking into account the widening involved and despite the anticipated social economic benefits, the Project will necessitate land acquisition hence entailing involuntary resettlement. In order to assess the Project level resettlement impacts, a detailed census survey was undertaken package wise from January 2008 onwards.

During the survey, it is estimated that a total of 857 households will be affected in Package IV – Barhet-Sahibganj subproject. The impacts of the present project largely include loss of land (residential and commercial); structure (residential, commercial and government & institution owned) income and livelihood (owners, employees, squatters). A total of 55.57 acres of land and 1047 assets (comprising of agricultural plots, residential, commercial and residential cum commercial assets, trees etc) will be affected as a result of the subproject improvements. The data gathered from the census survey reveals that amongst the affected 857 households, the majority 41% will incur loss of agricultural land, followed by 38% households incurring loss of residential structures. In addition, 5% will incur impact on Commercial assets and 15% on residential cum commercial assets. Table A presents a summary profile of the affected project population in the subproject as a whole.

C. Measures to Minimize Impact

All necessary efforts have been made in order to minimize the subproject impacts and to reduce disruption of livelihood. In order to minimize impacts to the maximum possible extent, adequate provisions have been incorporated into the planning and design of the subproject to minimize or mitigate any unavoidable impacts. The key technical efforts undertaken to minimize impacts comprise of – provision for - a) Community bypasses in several village areas and built up areas and into a more rural setting, b) reduction of Alignment & following existing road alignment in critical areas, and c) adoption of toe wall approach in embankment construction.

D. Objective of the Resettlement Plan

The resettlement plan (RP) is guided by the National R&R Policy - 2007, JH R&R Norms – 2009, Bihar R&R Policy - 2007 and various state laws on land acquisition, and relevant ADB Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (1995) and Operations Manual F2 on Involuntary Resettlement (2006).

The primary objective of the RP is to identify impacts and to plan measures to mitigate various losses of the subproject. The RP is based on the general findings of the resettlement census survey, field visits, and meetings with various project-affected persons in the subproject area. The RP presents (i) type and extent of loss of assets, including land and structures; (ii) principles and legal framework applicable for mitigation of losses; (iii) entitlement matrix, based on the inventory of loss and (iii) budget, institutional framework for the implementation of the plan, including monitoring and evaluation.

E. Stakeholder Participation and Disclosure of RP

Local level stakeholders were consulted in the subproject area while conducting initial social and poverty assessment. Similarly, due consideration was also given for Stakeholder consultations and community participation at different levels during RP preparation. A summary of this Resettlement Plan (RP) will be translated into Hindi and Santhali and will be made available to the affected people by the Executing Agency (EA) for review and comments on the policy and mitigation measures by means of subproject-level Disclosure workshops prior to loan negotiation. Copies of summary RP will also be made available at the local level public offices such as revenue offices and gram panchayat to stakeholders for local inputs prior to award of civil work contract. The proceedings of the disclosure workshop and the feedback received will be sent to ADB for review. The summary of the final RP will also be disclosed on the ADB Website.

F. Implementation Arrangements & Grievance Redressal

Executing Agency (EA) of the State Road Project in Jharkhand is the Road Construction Department (RCD) of the State government and will be responsible for overall strategic guidance, technical supervision, execution of the project, and ensuring compliance with the loan covenants. Project Implementation Cell under Road Construction Department will be established in Ranchi. This PIC will be headed by a full-time Director (ADB Project) reporting to the Secretary – RCD.

PIC would also ensure monitoring any changes to the subproject design. In case of change in subproject design thereby entailing change in resettlement impacts, a re-evaluation and updation of the RP will be undertaken. The updated RP will be disclosed to the APs, endorsed by the EA and will be submitted to ADB for approval prior to award of civil works contracts for the subproject. The updated RP, not just the summary will be disclosed to the APs as well as uploaded on the ADB website after ADB review and approval. PIC would also ensure that resettlement budgets are delivered on time for RP implementation. A field based District level Implementation Cell, headed by an Executive Engineer and assisted by a dedicated R&R Officer (RO) to implement the RP, will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the RP. This DIC will be assisted by local NGOs.

In order to resolve and address the grievances of the communities and people affected, a Grievance Redressal Cell would be established at the District Implementation Cell level. This Cell will comprise of the Executive Engineer, local NGO representative, community leaders (non- political), representatives of affected persons including women and vulnerable groups. To facilitate inter-departmental coordination as well as ensure speedy resolution of issues and grievances of the communities, a District level task force chaired by District Collector and comprising of District Land Acquisition Officer (DLAO), District Forest Officer (DFO), Executive Engineer and Additional District Magistrate and Relief Officer has been constituted at the each district level.

All compensation and other assistances1 will be paid to all APs prior to commencement of civil works. A detailed implementation schedule for the various activities is provided in Figure 7.2 in the main text.

G. Budget

The total estimated cost for resettlement operation and management for the Project is Rs. 85,215,411 (USD 2,028,938).

H. Training, Monitoring & Evaluation

An orientation and training in resettlement management will be provided under the Project by the ADB Consultant on NGO Engagement to the NGOs focusing on issues concerning - (i) principles and procedures of land acquisition; (ii) the policies and principles agreed under the ADB loan; (iii) public consultation and participation; (iv) entitlements and compensation disbursement mechanisms; (v) Grievance redressal and (vi) monitoring of resettlement operation.

The RP will have both internal and external monitoring. Internal Monitoring will be a regular activity for the PIC, which will oversee the timely implementation of R&R activities. Internal Monitoring will be carried out by the PIC and its agents, such as NGOs and will prepare monthly reports on the progress of RP Implementation.

External (or independent) monitoring will be hired by ADB to provide an independent periodic assessment of resettlement implementation and impacts to verify internal monitoring, and to suggest adjustment of delivery mechanisms and procedures as required.

Download the entire report here (.pdf).

Four districts have to pay a heavy green price for the proposed Govindpur-Sahebganj two-lane express highway.

At Sahebganj district, 2.21 hectares of uncovered forestland and 0.8627 hectares of covered forestlands will be acquired. Over 2,597 trees at four Mouzas (revenue villages) — Khairasol, Paharpur, Bara Chandvasi and Burudehi — spreading across 2.991 hectares would be cut down for the construction of the highway. At Pakur, around 1,200 trees would be under the axe while the loss of trees in Dumka will be about 4,500.

Regional chief conservator of forest (Dumka) Manraj has send the initial proposal of uprooting trees to the state headquarters after receiving a proposal from the forest department of respective districts in Santhal Pargana.

In the first phase, executive engineers of road divisions would send the proposal to the concerned district forest officials (DFOs) for acquiring the forestland for the highway, Manraj said. The DFO would then conduct survey of lands and send the final report to the state.

According to DFO of Sahebganj J.P.N. Sinha, the road division or the concerned authorities will only get the no-objection certificate only after compensating for cutting the trees as per the norms of the ministry of forest and environment.

The 330km-stretch highway would cost approximately Rs 800 crore, sources said. The road will begin from Govindpur (Dhanbad) and pass through Sahebganj via Jamtara, Dumka, Pakur. The road would also cover some parts of Palazori, in between Jamtara and Dumka, at Deoghar.

© The Telegraph / July 8, 2009

Poor performance in the health sector has led to the adoption of Communication for Change (C-Change), a flagship programme of United State Agency for International Development (USAID), in Pakur and Deoghar districts of the state.

Based on the report of National Family Health Survey, the pilot project will be implemented in Jharkhand by a non-government organisation, New Concepts. The C-Change programme in the state will focus on youth health and fertility.

Speaking about the C-Change programme, consultant of New Concepts Richa Chaudhary said: "It aims at improving the effectiveness and sustainability of communication for behavioural and social change. These are integral to development in the sectors of health, environment and civil society."

The C-Change programme works with global and regional partners in developing and educating countries with different approaches. In India, System-wide Collaborative Association for Livelihood and Environment (SCALE) approach has been adopted for implementation of these programmes.

The SCALE approach starts with bringing different stakeholders including, individual, organisations, corporate houses and institutions, together on a common platform. Then the officials associated with the programme will ask the stakeholders on how to address the issues to bring about a change. Based on the suggestions steps will be taken.

This method helps in strengthening communication among stakeholders to create a network of interconnected interests and actions. The stakeholders in turn communicate and consult to implement several methodology to stimulate and achieve the desired goal.

According to Chaudhary, the understanding of health and fertility among youths may help reduce the risk of adverse results such as maternal, newborn and infant deaths, premature birth, low-birth weight and miscarriage.

"Our aim is to increase and strengthen organisational networks throughout the state, bring about changes in social norms supporting youth health and fertility such as delay in marriage, girls' education, delay of first child and spacing between children," said Chaudhary.

She maintained that SCALE would also aim at improving the health and fertility knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the people.

© The Telegraph / July 11, 2009

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Centre's ambitious project to connect the rural interiors with the state's roads, has failed to take off successfully in the Santhal Pargana districts — evident from an analysis of the past two years.

In the 2007-08 fiscal, the rural works department, the nodal agency assigned for the project, managed to complete only seven out of the 87 sanctioned roads, for which Rs 100 crore had been approved.

The state had approved Rs 100.45 core for the construction of 343.44-km of roads in Santhal Pargana. Of that, only Rs 29.28 crore was spent during 2007-08. Result: Eighty incomplete roads.

The situation was similar in the next financial year, 2008-09. Under PMGSY, 111 new projects were sanctioned and Rs 84.09 crore released. However, only five new roads were completed at a cost of Rs 12.25 crore.

During 2007-08, the construction of new roads was also not completed in Dumka, Sahebganj and Pakur districts. In Dumka, 12 new roads, stretching over 65.36-km, were scheduled to be completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 21.18 crore, the rural works department spent only 5.85 crore.

In Deoghar, during 2007-08, only four the 39 sanctioned road projects were completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 30.67 crore, the district managed to spend Rs 4.23 crore. In 2008-09, out of 35 sanctioned roads, only two were completed at Deoghar.

Similarly during 2007-08, only one road under this project was completed at Jamtara and two were completed in Godda. During 2008-09, Rs 10 crore was sanctioned for Godda. In 2007-08, out of a sanctioned Rs 27.06 core, Godda managed to spend only Rs 2.14 crore for completing two roads under the PMGSY.

The 2008-09 fiscal witnessed no improvement. As the officials concerned remained busy in publishing tenders and completing the formalities related to the tender process.

Not a single officer in the rural works department was available for comment on the cause of such delay or non-execution of the works for the roads under PMGSY.

Divisional commissioner of Santhal Pargana Sahazanand Sharma was also not available for his comment but sources from his office said that he recently expressed his deep concern over the delay of construction of the roads under the project.

Telegraph / June 9, 2009

The home department has lodged a satellite war on opium dens. Armed with guide maps provided by remote sensing satellites, it is planning a crackdown on illegal poppy fields across 11 districts, including Sahebganj and Pakur.

Confidential letters, detailing the action plan, has already been rushed to police chiefs of all the concerned districts. It is learnt that the letters shed light on fringe areas — demarcated by satellite pictures — where illegal cultivation of poppy is rampant.

An intelligence officer, not willing to be named, said the districts of Sahebganj and Pakur hosted acres of poppy fields. "Last year, raids were conducted at a few places and poppy worth crores destroyed," he said. "But the problem could not be exterminated."

The poppy pods are processed in Bangladesh. The druglords, who buy poppy from farmers in Sahebganj and Pakur, sell it in the international market at a much higher price. Besides these outsiders, Naxalite groups also indulge in the business for money to fund their organisations.

The market price of poppy pod varies from time to time. A single, mature pod can fetch anything between Rs 90 and Rs 130. Half-grown pods are sold at Rs 500-700 per bhari (about 10gm). Poppy milk, a gum like substance that is processed into opium, is sold at Rs 1,500-3,000 per bhari in the local market. The price in the international market is thrice, if not more.

The satellite watch has been spurred by recent reports prepared by the central economic intelligence bureau suggesting revenue loss of several crores because of illegal poppy cultivation. No official was ready to go on record with the exact figure. "You can imagine the loss to the state exchequer if you consider the price of opium ingredients," an intelligence official said.

Earlier, under the chairmanship of state home secretary J Tubid, district-level teams were constituted to counter the alarming rise in such activities. The committees comprise superintendents of police, district forest officers, district public prosecutors, representatives of district-level excise department, representatives of district-level special branch officers, representatives of district-level crime investigating bureau and district public relation officers. The deputy commissioners can nominate anyone in the committee.

The teams have been asked to identify poppy fields in their respective districts and destroy them. Now, the satellite maps will come in handy. A nodal officer has also been deputed in each district to co-ordinate between the state and police headquarters. A slew of other measures, such as awareness campaigns and rewards for information on opium dealers, have also been initiated to check the growing menace.

Sahebganj superintendent of police confirmed that they had received the guide maps and would take action accordingly. Sources in his office said raids were being planned in Rajmahal, Barharwa, Taljhari and Maharajpur. Pictures taken by remote sensing satellites show large-scale cultivation in these areas.

Telegraph 2009 15 May