BHUBANESWAR: In a significant move, the state government on Wednesday dissolved all the 23 special development councils (SDCs) established in as many tribal-dominated districts of the state by the previous BJD regime.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved a proposal for dissolution of the SDCs which remained dysfunctional and failed to meet the objective for which the councils were constituted, sources said. A brainchild of Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJD government established SDCs on September 21, 2017 in nine districts where 62 tribal communities and 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups inhabit.
The SDCs were set up in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts to involve tribals, constituting nearly 23 per cent of the total population of the state, in the development process.
In May 2023, the BJD government expanded the SDCs to 14 more districts in a clear move to woo tribal voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The new districts brought under the SDCs included Balangir, Ganjam, Boudh, Balasore, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Angul, Bargarh, Jajpur, Jharsuguda and Deogarh.
For long, the BJP alleged that the only objective of the SDCs was to rehabilitate tribal leaders owing allegiance to the BJD. The chairperson of the council was given the status of minister of state, vice-chairperson equivalent of zilla parishad VC and members were given status of ZP members. The nine SDCs formed first had met only once since their inception.
The BJD government had given a total grant of Rs 351 crore for 2023-24 keeping an eye on the 2024 elections and Rs 226 crore in the vote of account placed before the election in February for 2024-25.