•  Displacement as a result of big projects introduced in their area

• Livelihood concerns resulting in temporary or permanent migration

• Inability to articulate and ensure rights particularly by women and those staying in interior villages

Working in Orissa and Jharkhand, the project tries to understand support initiatives like forest conservation and address the issue of displacement. Polavaram dam on Godavari river in A.P. is an issue taken up by the project.

Intervention and Achievement in Orissa

The intervention in Orissa tried to address tribal issues within the framework of people’s organization in Korapur block. The project addressed the concerns of displaced communities. They studied tribal problems in Korapur district by surveying 2565 households in 59 revenue and hamlet villages in five GPs.

Major Inputs and Outcomes

• Formation of 44 village level people’s organizations and five Gram panchayat level federations

• Basic facilities like drinking water, functioning of schools, provision of healthcare, PDS have remarkably improved

• Attendance of school children, particularly the girl child is improving

• Raising emergency fund “Kutumb Panthi” for health emergencies, travel, village issues and other unforeseen expenses

• A continued process of land and plantations issuing to tribals

• A displaced people’s forum at district level was formed to highlight their problems

• Renovation and repairs of local resources like tanks, schools etc are taken up. Schemes like food work are extensively used

Interventions and Achievements in Jharkhand

The programme on empowering Adivasi community in Palamau focused on improving claims of Adivasis in Gramsabha, initiation of Adivasi action on land alienation and women’s issues.

The Major Results

• Women participation in Gramsabha and Panchayat level Amsabha is ensured

• Active participation of Gramsabha in identifying the potential beneficiaries from Sampurna Gramin Rojgar Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana and old age pensions

• Land survey was conducted and identified the households subjected to land alienation

• A list of scheduled tribe beneficiaries from each village were finalized regarding revolving fund

• Mortgaged land released from money lenders

• Provision of legal assistance in land disputes

• Helped to organize regular meetings, record and book keeping, network building and establish bank linkages to the women SHGs

• Increased levels of women’s confidence. They became assertive. They are articulating their rights on issues and demand benefits from the government.