Prasanta Kumar Dash
Bhubaneswar, Oct 10: From the very wee hours on Thursday while a pall of gloom descended across the nation following the saddened demise of iconic Industrialist Ratan Tata, it spread a shockwave in the Kathagada Parbatia Sahi in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, a thickly populated tribal-dominated slum, miles away from the town.
Though, the great visionary Ratan Tata is no more in his earthly embodiment and ignited mind now, as the slum dwellers could hardly see him through his envisioned deeds dreamt for the rural poor, the beneficiaries feel the presence of their beloved patron Ratan Tata among the plethora of development works he excuted here under the aegis of the Tata Trust, at the peak of Pandemic.
The Kathagada Parbatia Sahi Slum which was almost opaqued away from a sustainable way of development and its inhabitants were languished in kutcha houses joined by a few feet wide slits of thoroughfares with no basic amenities, were bestowed a new lease of life with the due intervention of social mission of the Tata Group, the Tata Trust in 2021.
With a ray of hope from Ratan Tata, the residents of the Kathagada Parbatia Sahi slums in Odisha begged hands of the Tata Trusts and Jaga Mission to upgrade and transform their slum. Following the innovative transformations, the locals of Kathagada Parbatia Sahi Slum was absolutely developed with spacious, airy rooms and flat roofs along with open space for community festivities.
Earlier the residents were leading a precarious life, like in any other slums, was having meager drinking water facilities, lack of basic connectivity and even life-saving healthcare. The slum was home to 123 households then whio were almost deprived of basic civic amenities, like piped water supply, access to proper roads, sanitation, electricity, etc, making it difficult for the inhabitants. To add to the misery, the families lived in constant fear of eviction. City life wasn’t easy for the people in this slum.
As the the local community opined, despite several appeals in the past to address various issues, not much attention was given to their problems by the district admin.
When the Tata Trusts Field Team including Jaga Fellows, along with officials from Dhenkanal Municipality, conveyed the Government of Odisha’s decision to support the slum dwellers by providing land tenure security and ensuring basic infrastructural facilities, it was hard for the community here to believe. To them, it seemed like another empty promise, a night mare until the beneficiaries received Land Rights Certificates, followed by Land Entitlement certificates for the land they were residing on. It reassured the community that no eligible family would be missed out and all would receive their lawful rights.
Jaga Fellows of Tata Trusts conducted intensive workshops and awareness meetings in the slums to explain about the benefits under Odisha Land Rights and Slum Dwellers Act, and Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission or Jaga Mission. After land rights were granted to the slum households, participatory need assessment was organised to understand services and infrastructure gap.
The Tata Trusts’ team at the State Level Project Management Unit developed the design for infrastructure, prepared the estimate for budget, plan of convergence with other development schemes and project timeline, and shared them with the officials of Dhenkanal Municipality for initiating execution. The members of the Slum Dweller Associations of Kathagada Parbatia Sahi were imparted training for participating in the execution process and monitoring the quality of work. The frequent engagement and timely execution of the work helped in building a good rapport with the community members and gaining their confidence.
As a response to the Covid pandemic, the Government of Odisha initiated the country’s first wage employment scheme known as MUKTA to provide livelihood opportunities to urban poor. Under this scheme, the development work in the slums is carried out by the Slum Dweller Associations instead of contractors. The Slum Dweller Associations are considered as implementing partners and wages are transferred to their accounts for direct benefit transfer to the beneficiary account. Under the scheme, the implementing partners are entitled to get 7.5% of the project cost towards their supervision charges. This has provided opportunity for the skilled and unskilled labourers from the slum to earn their livelihoods.
The Tata Trusts’ team at the State Level Project Management Unit and Jaga Fellows played an active role in facilitating the initiative by mobilising communities to participate in ward-level meetings to finalise the slum upgradation work. This activity was followed by orienting the officials of urban local bodies on the MUKTA programme and processes, and facilitating preparation of technical designs and methodologies for faster estimation and budget approval and execution of work – all in close consultation with the slum communities. This timely intervention provided livelihood opportunities to people on one hand, upgraded the infrastructure and transformed the slum into liveable habitats on the other.
In Kathagada Parbatia Sahi slum, out of a total 123 households, 120 households are granted Land Rights and Entitlement Certificates. Paved roads and covered storm water drains have been constructed throughout the slum, individual and public toilets are constructed, 23 street lights are erected and every household is supplied with piped drinking water and electricity. An open space has been developed, having a badminton court, equipment for exercises for all age groups, and kids’ play equipment like swing, seesaws, slides, etc. A multipurpose community centre — Parichaya – has been constructed adjacent to the open space for community gatherings.
Ashok Kumar Rout, Secretary of the Kathagada Parbatia Sahi Slum Dwellers Association (SDA), expressed appreciation on behalf of the community: “The slum upgradation activities undertaken during the pandemic have supported the slum dwellers immensely and in a timely manner. A sigh of relief was let out by the families who were facing financial difficulties due to loss of jobs and employment during Covid-19. The consistent engagement of the Tata Trusts’ team and officials from Dhenkanal Municipality, with the SDA, has built our confidence to take up various development activities even outside the slums.”
The residents of Kathagada Parbatia Sahi slum are a happy, contended lot today, due to the benevolence and vision of Ratan Tata.
With the demise of Ratan Tata a while ago, the households of the Kathagada Parbatia Sahi moan the passing away of their revered patron where the enlightened signature of the philanthropist is yet visible with every element of the transformed slum, as conducive as an urban residential colony and as eco-friendly as a well-ventilated green-field township.
The locals including the school-going boys & girls along with the elderly persons extended their deep homage and gratitude to late Ratan Tata altogether showering flowery tributes with good wishes for the pious soul.
A village headman with a heavy heart and tearing eyes expressed that Ratan Tata was indeed an epitome of love, compassion and solidarity.
He will be always worshipped within our body, mind and spirit for his uncommon vision for us, he added.
