Tuesday, May 26, 2020

వ్యవసాయాన్ని పండుగగా చేసుకోవడం
 మన తెలంగాణ ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ కె చంద్రశేఖర్ రావు వ్యవసాయం గురించి దూరదృష్టితో ఆలోచించినందుకు మరియు డిపార్టుమెంటుకు మరియు దాని అధికారులకు ఆయన ఇచ్చిన ఆదేశాలను అభినందించాలి మరియు అభినందించాలి.  మా రైతులు మంద మనస్తత్వానికి అలవాటు పడ్డారని చెప్పడం అతిశయోక్తి కాదు.  సరికొత్త పద్ధతులు మరియు అభ్యాసాలను అవలంబించడంలో మార్చడానికి మరియు వినూత్నంగా ఉండటానికి ఎవరూ ధైర్యం చేయరు.

 రైతులు మరియు వ్యవసాయం యొక్క దారుణమైన పరిస్థితులను దృష్టిలో ఉంచుకుని ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ మాజీ ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఒకరు ఇలా అన్నారు: "వ్యవసాయం వ్యర్థమైంది" (ధండగా) మరియు అతను రైతులకు ఉచిత విద్యుత్తును అంగీకరించలేదు, తరువాత అతను తన అభిప్రాయాన్ని మార్చుకున్నాడు.  సంయుక్త ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ మాజీ ముఖ్యమంత్రి డాక్టర్ వై.ఎస్.రాశశేఖర్ రెడ్డి రాష్ట్రవ్యాప్తంగా అనేక నీటిపారుదల ప్రాజెక్టులను "జల యజ్ఞం" గా అభివర్ణించారు.  మన తెలంగాణ ముఖ్యమంత్రి కొన్ని ప్రాజెక్టుల రూపకల్పనలో కొన్ని మార్పులు చేస్తూ నీటిపారుదల ప్రాజెక్టులను కొనసాగించారు.  కానీ విమర్శకులు జల యజ్ఞాన్ని ధన యజ్ఞం అని, కలేశ్వరం ప్రాజెక్టును తెల్ల ఏనుగుగా అభివర్ణించారు. రెండు తెలుగు రాష్ట్రాల్లోని రైతులకు నీరు మరియు విద్యుత్ సౌకర్యం ఉంది, దీని ఫలితంగా బంపర్ పంటలు వచ్చాయి.

 నోబెల్ గ్రహీత సి.వి.రామన్ తన వ్యాసం “వాతావరణం” లో వ్యవసాయం ఒక జూదం అని అన్నారు.  ఇది ఇప్పటికీ వాతావరణం యొక్క మార్పులకు గురవుతుంది.  వ్యవసాయంలో వేగంగా పురోగతి ఉన్నప్పటికీ, రైతుల ఆదాయాలు పెట్టుబడులు మరియు వారు చేసిన ప్రయత్నాలకు అనుగుణంగా లేవు.  వాతావరణం యొక్క దయ ఆధారంగా విత్తనాలు వేయడం నుండి కోత మరియు మార్కెటింగ్ వరకు వారు చాలా కష్టాలను ఎదుర్కొంటున్నారు.  రైతుల చిన్న హోల్డింగ్స్ మరొక ఆందోళన, 68 శాతం మంది రైతులు ఒక హెక్టార్ కంటే తక్కువ, 18 శాతం మంది రైతులు ఒకటి నుండి రెండు హెక్టార్ల మధ్య ఉన్నారు.

 రైతులు లేదా సహకార సంఘాలతో కూడిన స్వయం సహాయక బృందాల ఏర్పాటు రైతుల వైఖరిలో కావాల్సిన మార్పులను సులభతరం చేస్తుంది మరియు వేగవంతం చేస్తుంది మరియు ఇన్పుట్లు, పరికరాలు మరియు ఇతర వనరులను పంచుకోవడానికి దారితీస్తుంది.  పెరుగుతున్న పెట్టుబడి భారాన్ని తీర్చడానికి మరియు సాంకేతికత మరియు యంత్రాలను అవలంబించడానికి సహకార సంఘాలు లేదా సహకార వ్యవసాయం అవసరం మరియు అనివార్యం.  చైనాలో, ఇరవై మిలియన్ల సహకార సంస్థలు నమోదు చేయబడ్డాయి.  మన దేశంలో, అవి నామమాత్రంగా మరియు పనికిరానివి.  చైనాలో వ్యవసాయ యోగ్యమైన భూమి 103.4 మిలియన్ హెక్టార్ల భూమి మరియు చైనా జనాభాలో 26% వ్యవసాయంలో పాలుపంచుకుంది, అయితే మన దేశంలో వ్యవసాయ యోగ్యమైన భూమి 159.65 మిలియన్ హెక్టార్లు మరియు జనాభాలో 42% వ్యవసాయ కార్యకలాపాలలో పాల్గొంటుంది. వ్యవసాయానికి రాయితీలు  చైనా 212 బిలియన్ డాలర్లు కాగా, మన దేశంలో 37 బిలియన్ డాలర్లు (2.83 లక్షల కోట్లు) మన బడ్జెట్ 2020-21లో (పిఎంకెసాన్, ఎంజిఎన్‌ఆర్‌ఇజిఎ మరియు పిఎమ్‌ఎఫ్‌బివై యొక్క ప్రధాన పథకాలతో సహా) కేటాయించబడ్డాయి.

 వ్యవసాయ కేంద్రాలు, విద్యావంతులైన యువత గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల్లోని ప్రారంభంతో ప్రోత్సహించబడాలి.  ప్రతి నెలా రెండు లక్షల రూపాయల వేతనంతో సింగపూర్‌లో సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్ ఇంజనీర్‌గా పనిచేస్తున్న మహీపాల్ రెడ్డి తన ఉద్యోగాన్ని వదిలి తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలోని కరీంనగర్ జిల్లాకు వచ్చారు.  అతను ఏడు ఎకరాల భూమిని లీజుకు తీసుకున్నాడు. హైదరాబాద్ లోని సస్టైనబుల్ అగ్రికల్చర్ సెంటర్ సహాయంతో అతను హార్టికల్చర్ మరియు ఫ్లోరికల్చర్ లో వినూత్న పద్ధతులను అభ్యసిస్తున్నాడు.  అతను తన వ్యవసాయ భూమిలో దిగుబడి మరియు రాబడితో చాలా సంతృప్తి చెందాడు.  ప్రతి గ్రామంలో, ఇటువంటి పారిశ్రామికవేత్తలను సాంకేతిక మరియు ఆర్థిక సహాయంతో పొందవచ్చు.  నిరుద్యోగ యువతను గుర్తించడానికి క్రమానుగతంగా నైపుణ్య అభివృద్ధి కార్యక్రమాలు నిర్వహించాలి.

 వ్యవసాయ అధికారులు, వ్యవసాయ విస్తరణ అధికారులు వంటి సిబ్బంది లభ్యత రైతుల అవసరాలు, డిమాండ్లను తీర్చడానికి సరిపోదు.  ప్రతి A.E.O వారు 2500 ఎకరాల భూమిని కలిగి ఉన్నందున 1000 ఎకరాల భూమిని కవర్ చేయడానికి అందుబాటులో ఉండాలి.  రైతులకు మార్గనిర్దేశం చేయడానికి మరియు వారి వ్యవసాయ కార్యకలాపాలను పర్యవేక్షించడానికి మరియు వారి సమస్యలను పరిష్కరించడానికి వారు అందుబాటులో ఉండాలి. 4 హెక్టార్లలోపు ఉన్న వ్యక్తిగత రైతులకు వడ్డీ లేని స్వల్పకాలిక రుణాలు మరియు రాయితీలు ఇవ్వాలి.  బియ్యం కాకుండా, మిల్లెట్లు మరియు పప్పుధాన్యాలు పండ్ల పెంపకం మరియు పెరుగుతున్న కూరగాయలు భూమి యొక్క నేలని బట్టి పెద్ద ఎత్తున తీసుకోవచ్చు.  హైదరాబాద్‌లో, తపాలా శాఖ మామిడితో ఒప్పందం కుదుర్చుకొని మార్కెటింగ్ వ్యవసాయ శాఖ లాక్డౌన్ సమయంలో రైతుల నుండి వినియోగదారులకు రవాణా చేయబడుతుంది.  ఇది కూరగాయలకు విస్తరించగల ప్రశంసనీయమైన చొరవ.  రైతులకు మంచి ధర లభిస్తుంది మరియు వినియోగదారులకు మధ్యవర్తులను తొలగిస్తూ సరసమైన ధర వద్ద నాణ్యతను ఇస్తారు.  రైతులు మరియు కస్టమర్లను అనుసంధానించడానికి చక్రాలపై కూరగాయలు మరియు మొబైల్ మార్కెటింగ్ పథకాలను ప్రవేశపెట్టవచ్చు.
 మన రైతులు అన్నాధాటాస్ (ఆహారాన్ని అందించడం) కాని విచారకరమైన విషయం ఏమిటంటే, వ్యవసాయ కార్యకలాపాల నష్టాల వల్ల కొంతమంది రైతులు ఎక్కువగా ఆత్మహత్యలకు పాల్పడుతున్నారు.  మా రైతులను సంతోషంగా ఉంచడానికి మరియు వృత్తిని ఆకర్షణీయంగా ఉంచడానికి వినూత్న పథకాలను ప్రారంభించే వారిని మేము రక్షించాలి.  సమృద్ధిగా వనరులు మరియు అవకాశాలతో మనలను, మన ఆర్థిక వ్యవస్థను రక్షించగల ఏకైక రంగం వ్యవసాయం.  PMKISAN మరియు MGNAREGA కింద నిధుల కేటాయింపును రెట్టింపు చేయాలి.  1.73 లక్షల కోట్ల ఉద్దీపన ప్యాకేజీ సరిపోదు మరియు ఉదార ​​ఉద్దీపన ప్యాకేజీని త్వరగా ప్రకటించాలి.  బడ్జెట్‌లో ప్రస్తుత కేటాయింపులను మినహాయించి కనీసం ఆరు లక్షల కోట్లు మరియు మొదటి ఉద్దీపన ప్యాకేజీని వ్యవసాయం మరియు గ్రామీణాభివృద్ధికి కేటాయించాలి.  మనకు తగినంత వనరులు మరియు సమృద్ధిగా వస్తువుల సరఫరా ఉన్నందున ఇది ద్రవ్యోల్బణ సమస్యలను సృష్టించదు.  ఎఫ్‌సిఐ గోడౌన్లలోని బఫర్ స్టాక్స్ బంపర్ పంటలు మన పౌరులందరికీ ఆహార భద్రతను నిర్ధారిస్తాయి.  మన వ్యవసాయాన్ని మరింత ఆకర్షణీయంగా మార్చడానికి వినూత్నంగా మరియు ఆచరణాత్మకంగా ఉండండి.  మన జిడిపిలో 1950-1951లో ఉన్నట్లుగా మన వ్యవసాయ రంగం మరింత వాటాను తిరిగి పొందుతుందని ఆశిద్దాం.  మన వ్యవసాయాన్ని పండుగగా చేసుకుందాం.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Private Junior Colleges in Debt Trap

The Notification for online applications inviting for the extension of provisional Affiliation for the Academic year 2020-2021 by the Board of Intermediate Education in Telangana State has come as a "Bolt from the Blue" in the aftermath of the Coronavirus whereas the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) and the majority of the Universities in the country announced an automatic renewal of Affiliation as per the last year without any terms and conditions. 

The Private Junior Colleges (Budget) are agitated and struggling to find out the ways and the means to cope with the COVID scenario and maintain their Colleges following the protocol and the Standard of Procedures (SOP). On-line teaching is being discussed prominently but that will not be a substitute for Classroom teaching at the Intermediate level in the rural areas and towns. It will be totally impracticable and inflexible due to affordability and accessibility problems. Shift system is also being considered.  
                                                                                                                                                    Increasing the staff strength, maintaining the distance among the students wouldp involve huge amounts of expenditure causing heavy burden to the Private Managements as already most of them are bleeding financially and they are in a debt trap due to lack of required relief and financial assistance. The Managements have been requesting the Government to the fees reimbursement (RTF) for the last six years but of no avail.                    

The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE), which was established in 1969, continues to Supervise, Recognise the Private Junior Colleges, Conduct examinations, announce the results and the issuance of the Certificates to the Intermediate students. The BIE has been squeezing the Private Junior Colleges by increasing the Recognition fees, Affiliation fees, inspection fees and Penalties for the last four years. The BIE seems to be concentrating on the income to the Board rather than focusing oh the standards of education being imparted at the college level. 

There are 2560 Junior Colleges in Telangana State imparting education to ten lakhs of students but these colleges function under the different managements. There are 404 Government Junior Colleges another 200 Residential Junior Colleges under the Social Welfare Department, Tribal Welfare Department and the Gurukul Education Society etc.There are more than 300 Corporate Junior Colleges and 1400 Private Junior Colleges (most of them are Budget junior colleges). A Division Bench of Telangana High Court on 28th February 2020 permitted TSBIE to close down 68 junior colleges belonging to Sri Chaitanya and Narayana groups as they did not get the NOC from the fire department.     

There are more than two lakh students pursuing their two years course in the Government sectors and more than two lakh students studying in Corporate Junior colleges and more than five lakh students in Private Junior Colleges in the towns and the rural areas. The Government of Telangana spends 40000 rupees per annum on each  Intermediate student in the Government Junior Colleges and one lakh and twenty-five thousand on each student in Residential Junior Colleges whereas in Corporate Junior Colleges fees vary from a minimum of one lakh to two lakhs maximum depending upon the location and the facilities provided in the colleges.  

The students of weaker sections and the backward classes who can not afford to pay the huge amounts towards fees and other expenditure join in these private junior colleges located in the rural areas and the towns. They depend upon the RTF and the MTF sanctioned by the Government. The RTF is Rs1900 and The MTF is Rs 3000 to 4000 depending upon the status of the students. The Budget Junior Colleges are forced to accept both the RTF and the MTF and can not collect any other fees from the students and impart the education to them by paying Rents to the College Buildings and Salaries to the  Staff and other maintenance expenditure. The Debts of the Managements of the Private Junior Colleges are mounting causing many hardships and forced to live in limbo. The  Government of Telangana spends 500 crores providing employment to 10000 staff members whereas with an income of 200 crores the Private Junior Colleges providing employment to 55000 staff members without compromising the standards of education.

The Private Junior Colleges have been following the same curriculum and the examinations to the students studying in both the Private and the Government Junior Colleges are being conducted by the BIE and the students of the Private Junior colleges excel in examinations and the results. There is no doubt that the Private Junior Colleges Managements would rise to the occasion to provide the ambience and the infrastructure and continue to impart quality education. But the problems faced by the management should be solved immediately by the Government of Telangana by enhancing the RTF from the present Rs.1900 to a minimum of Rs.25000 which is still less than what the Government spends on online admissions, which was promised in the State Assembly, and automatic renewal of the Affiliations without any terms and conditions. The Private Managements have been rendering yeoman services in the education sector without any compromise on quality, taking it as a social responsibility catering to the needs of the students and making them useful and the worthy citizens of our country.   


Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Making Agriculture A Festival

We should appreciate and congratulate our Telangana Chief Minister Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao for his visionary thinking on Agriculture and his directions to the department and its officials recently to motivate the farmers for changing to the demand-oriented crops. It is not an exaggeration to say our farmers have been habituated to Herd mentality. No one dares to change and to be innovative in adopting the latest techniques and practices. 

Keeping the pathetic conditions of the farmers and the Agriculture in view A Former Chief Minister of combined Andhra Pradesh said: "Agriculture was waste"(Dhandaga) and he did not accept free electricity to the farmers, Later he changed his opinion. Dr Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy, Former Chief Minister of the combined Andhra Pradesh State initiated several irrigation projects extensively throughout the state describing as “Jala Yagnam”. Our Telangana Chief Minister continued the irrigation projects making some changes in the designing of some projects. But the Critics described Jala Yagnam as Dhanuja Yagnam and the Kaleshwaram project as a white elephant.The farmers in both Telugu states have access to water and electricity which resulted in bumper crops.     

The Nobel laureate C.V.Raman in his essay “Weather” said Agriculture had been a gamble. It still remains vulnerable to the vagaries of weather. In spite of the rapid progress in the Agriculture, the incomes of the farmers are not commensurate with the investments and the efforts they made. They have been facing lot of hardships from sowing to the harvesting and marketing based upon the mercy of the weather. The smallholdings of the farmers are another concern, 68 percent farmers hold less than one hectare and 18 percent farmers hold between one to two hectares.  

Formation of Self-Help groups consisting of the farmers or co-operative societies can facilitate and accelerate the desirable changes in the attitude of the farmers and lead to the sharing of the inputs, equipment and other resources. Co-operative Societies or Co-operative Farming are essential and inevitable to meet the increasing investment burden and adopt the technology and the machinery. In China, Twenty Millions of Co-operatives were registered. In our country, they are nominal and ineffective. In China the arable land is103.4 million hectares of land and 26% of the Chinese population involved in the Agriculture whereas in our country the arable land is 159.65 million hectares and 42% of the population involved in agricultural operations.The subsidies to agriculture in China are 212 billion dollars whereas in our country 37 billion dollars (2.83 lakh crores) are allocated in our Budget 2020-21 (including the flagship schemes of PMKISAN, MGNREGA and PMFBY).

Agroentreprenures, educated youth should be encouraged with the startup’s in the rural areas. Mr Mahipal Reddy who was a software engineer in Singapore with a salary of two lakhs of rupees every month left his job and came to his native place Karimnagar District of Telangana State. He has taken seven acres of land on lease.He has been practising innovative methods in the Horticulture and the Floriculture with the assistance of the Centre of Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad. He is very much satisfied with the yields and the returns in his farmland. In every village, such entrepreneurs can be groomed with the technical and financial assistance. Skill Development programmes should be held periodically to identify the unemployed youth.

The availability of the personnel like the Agriculture Officers and the Agriculture Extension officers is inadequate to meet the needs and demands of the farmers. Each A.E.O should be available to cover 1000 acres of land as they are covering 2500 acres of land. They should be accessible to guide the farmers and supervise their agricultural operations and solve their problems Interest-free Short -Term loans and subsidies should be given to individual farmers holding less than 4 hectares. Apart from Rice, millets and pulses Fruit Farming and Vegetables growing can be taken on a large scale depending upon the soil of the land. In Hyderabad, the marketing Department of Agriculture in tie-up with the postal department Mangoes are transported from the farmers to the customers during the Lockdown. It is a commendable initiative that can be extended to the Vegetables. The farmers would get a good price and the consumers are assured of the quality at a reasonable price eliminating the middlemen. Vegetables on wheels and Mobile Marketing Schemes can be introduced to link up the farmers and the customers.                                                                                                                         
Our farmers are Annadhatas(providing food) but the sad thing is some of the farmers have been committing suicides mostly due to the losses in Agriculture operations causing mounting debts. We should protect our farmers initiating innovative schemes to keep them happy and make the profession attractive. Agriculture is the only sector that can save us and our economy with abundant resources and opportunities. The allocation of funds under PMKISAN and MGNAREGA should be doubled. The stimulus package of 1.73 lakh crores is inadequate and the liberal stimulus package should be announced at the earliest. Minimum of Six lakh crores excluding the present allocation in the budget and the first stimulus package should be allocated for the Agriculture and the Rural Development. It will not create inflation problems as we have adequate resources and abundant supply of goods. The buffer stocks in FCI godowns the bumper crops would ensure the Food security to all our citizens. Let us be innovative and pragmatic to make our Agriculture more attractive. Let us hope our Agriculture Sector regain the more share as it was in 1950-1951 in Our GDP. Let us make our Agriculture a Festival.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Vanquishing the Virus

We should welcome the exit of the Lockdown in the first week of May 2020, which has been thrust upon as a necessary evil. But we are worried and anticipate the surging of the crowds on the roads and in the streets that can not be controlled But it is inevitable that we have to face the reality one day or the other as the war is not yet over and we have to face the challenge that begins with the lifting of the lockdown.

The success that we claim to have achieved in comparison to America and other countries in the world in controlling the death rate is just the tip of the iceberg. Lockdown just enables us to warm up ourselves or it is just like a rehearsal preparing for the war. The success and the satisfaction are not countable and limited as the ratio of the testing is inadequate to assess the gravity of the situation accurately. We are just postponing it in the guise of the Lockdown.

Our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call to keep "Dho Gaz Dhoor" (two yards distance) is appropriate and we have to follow it certainly but all our actions and thoughts should be beyond it to cope with the situation. We can not afford to prolong the Lockdown as the dreadful virus has shaken up the roots of our culture and broken the chain of our economy. Health and Economy should be together like the pros and cons of a coin. Let us not indulge in self-glorification. We have to continue and increase our sample rate of  Tracing, Testing and Treatment along with our armoury of Wearing the Masks, following the physical distance and Washing the Hands till the Vaccine is found out. It is the only weapon that annihilates the novel Coronavirus. Till then let us not involve ourselves in the jugglery of the numbers and words.

As our country is densely populated whatever the steps that we initiate may not be commensurate with the needs and demands of the people. We have to be pragmatic and proactive to eradicate the virus and mitigate the morbidity and the mortality among the people. Restoring the confidence among the public and Reviving our broken economy needs extraordinary and comprehensive measures involving all the stakeholders.

In the present scenario, we cannot imagine large gatherings in the cinema halls, function halls, restaurants, overcrowded public transportation, schools and colleges, public meeting grounds and the Rallies on the road, they might be thing of the past. The movement of the Public in these areas is curtailed automatically. The children below 15  years of age and the senior citizens above 60 years should not be allowed to come out of their houses unless there is medical emergency whether there is Lockdown or not, whether they are in the Red Zone, the Orange Zone and the Green Zone.

The Central and the State Governments should take the decision to send away all the Migrant workers to their native places wherever they are. Let us not assume that the virus would spread out to the rural areas. All is needed is willingness and commitment towards the welfare of the migrant workers. They can be tested after their arrival to their native places. If they are tested positive they can be kept in the quarantine in their houses or community halls or schools in the rural areas. When thousands of the students from Kota are transported to their places. Why can’t the Migrant workers be moved to their places? Let us shun the timidity and embrace the boldness.

Our efforts would be successful in controlling the novel Coronavirus. As the reports that have been pouring in indicate that we have to co-exist with the virus until the vaccine is found out. All the shops and the commercial activities on the roads and in the streets should be opened. The people having permission letters or passes specifying the actual purpose, and wearing the masks and keeping the physical distance can be allowed Cars with one or two persons or two-wheelers with single riders are allowed now in the Lockdown period. Autorickshaws with one or two persons, public transportation, company transportation like buses with a minimum of 15 or a maximum of 20 passengers. can be allowed. All the passengers in the buses should produce the Passes and the ID cards of their employers.

The question arises "Who should issue these passes?"A Government official shall issue the passes with the consultation of the local committees. Committees with a vast network consisting of the Government officials, the local leaders of the political parties, local authorities, the NGOs, shall be constituted ward-wise, street-wise and the basthi-wise. They shall be made in-charge to conduct a household survey to find out the needs and the necessities of each and every household. In cities Associations of The Apartments and the Gated communities also can be involved.

Co-ordination and Communication among the committee members and the households facilitate swift action in meeting the needs of the local people. Involvement of the local people and the community would control the masses and prevent them to come on the roads en masse. These measures are only temporary and can be modified from time to time depending upon the situation in their areas. The ultimate success depends upon the invention of the Vaccine that Vanquishes or Vanishes the Virus.

Telugu Poem on Coronavirus

కరోన ఓ కరోనా

నీవొక శాపమా?
కనువిప్పు కలిగించే వరమా?

మా ఆరాటాలకు
మా పోరాటాలకు
గుణపాఠమా?

నీకు మాపై ఏ బేదబావంలేదు
అందరిని ఒకేలా చూస్తున్నావు

కాని కరుణ లేకుండా
కాటు మాత్రం వేస్తున్నావు

నీవు మా పాలిట శాపమా? వరమా?

పంచభూతముల పరమార్దం మరిచిన మాకు
ఎంతకు లొంగని బూతంలా మారావు

అభివృద్ధి పేరుతో విర్రవీగిన మాకు
మా వృద్ధి ఏ పాటిదో
చూపిస్తివి

మిత పరిమితాలు మరిచిన మాకు

సమానత్వం అంటే ఏమిటో చూపిస్తివి

రాజ్యలేలే రాజైన
 రాళ్ళు కొట్టె కూలైన
తప్పించుకొలేరు
నీ కబంద హస్తాల నుండి

వైద్యులంటే సాక్షాత్తు నారాయణులేనని

ఖాకీలలో కేవలం కాఠిన్యం మాత్రమే కాదు కారుణ్యం
కూడ కలదని
తెలిసేలా చేసావు

నీవు మాత్రం కంటికి కనిపించవు
అందరిని కట్టడి మాత్రం చేస్తున్నావు

అన్నదాతల విలువను
అందరికి అర్దం అయ్యేలా చేసావు

పారిశుధ్య కార్మికుల పాదాలు కడిగేలా చేసావు

ఈ శతాబ్దపు జనాలకు
నీ పవరేంటో చూపిస్తివి

ఇకనైన కరునించు

మా తప్పులు తెలుసుకున్నాం
ప్రాయశ్చిత్తం చేసుకుంటాం
ప్రతి ప్రాణికి విలువనిస్తాం
వివేకంతో నడుచుకుంటాం
ఇది మా భీష్మ ప్రతిజ్ఞ.

కరోనా నీవొక శాపమా వరమా.   
Written by Macharla Harinath

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Pandemic Management

Health disasters like the pandemics and the epidemics and natural calamities like earthquakes, floods and Tsunami are not new to the world plunging people into a whirlpool but the speed and the magnitude of the Coronavirus is unexpected. There is no panacea or the magic wand to wean away the people from the hardships and miseries No solution, policies and the systems can face the challenges successfully to mitigate the distress conditions of the masses in general and the vulnerable people in particular.

Generally, Disaster management like the pandemic coronavirus results in blame game and shifting the responsibilities between the Government and the opposition adding fuel to the fire situation rather than solving the problems. In "Measure for Measure" play, Shakespear says that any tragedy or disaster is fertile ground for politicians to take undue advantage. The need of the hour is to initiate concerted efforts and collective action keeping aside the ideological and the personality differences of the parties and the politicians along with the bureaucratic machinery should rise to the occasion and the plan of action is to be enunciated ensuring the dissemination of correct information and communication to the public giving no scope to fake news and rumours that exacerbate the situation. Community participation plays a crucial role in densely populated countries such as India in fighting the novel Coronavirus, said Dale Fisher, Chair of the W.H.O.

Anywhere and everywhere in the world, it would be a Herculean task to face the challenges of the Pandemic or any other disaster. It is always a thankless job. No success is assured. Magnanimity is required without magnifying the crisis.3 M’s i.e. Men, Material and the Money are important to meet the demands of the situation and the optimum utilisation of these resources is necessary. It all depends upon the Visionary leadership unifying all the stakeholders facilitating swift action to mitigate the hardships of the people, is essential.

The Government of India announced the lockdown abruptly causing hardships and the miseries to the migrant workers particularly Vulnerable people who depend on Daily wages and Hand to Mouth situation. The marketeers of the political parties who coined the slogans and made the documentary films of Mera Bharat Mahan and India shining should be ashamed at the stark and glaring realities of our Migrant workers who have been leading a miserable life in inhuman conditions and some of them were ready to go to their native places on foot. When thousands of the students are transported to the Uttar Pradesh and the Bihar from Kota of Rajasthan and the hundreds of people who are being stuck up in other countries are being airlifted. What crime have the migrant workers committed? The panic virus is more dangerous than the novel Coronavirus. It is better late than never. The migrant workers who want to go their places should be allowed to go. The buses and the trains should be made available at free of cost. Testing can be done after their arrival o their places. The local panchayats and the District officials would take care of them. The fact that the Novel Coronavirus has not spread much to the villages should be a relief to everyone. Once the Migrant workers are tested after their arrival to their places. If they are tested positive they can be kept in home quarantine by taking adequate steps to contain the virus. Sending them to their places is the only succour.

The Relief and the Rehabilitation measures should be initiated to the Migrant workers based on the Short Term, the Medium Term and the Long Term. Most of the Migrant workers are unskilled. They can be provided employment opportunities in and around the villages by undertaking The rural Infrastructure projects like roads, construction of the Godowns, the cold storage, community halls, school buildings repairs and construction of additional classrooms, construction of houses to the homeless by the Government under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. MGNREGA funds can be utilised in the short term by expanding the scope of the scheme for the said activities.  Rural industries mostly The Khadi, the cottage and the Agro-based particularly processing industries of Food, Vegetables, Fruits and the Dairy, The Poultry etc can be started in the villages and the Semi-Urban areas by encouraging the local educated facilitating Agri Starts UPS sanctioning them the Mundra loans from a minimum of 5 lakhs to a maximum of one crore. Local industries based on the locally available resources would accelerate the growth and the development and would create enormous employment opportunities. Skill development can be imparted to local youth and the educated depending upon the local requirement. Production of Masks, the hand gloves, bandage cloth, beds, suits and other medical equipment can be taken up in the rural areas and the towns.

While I was working as the principal of The Government Junior college at Rebbana Mandal in Adilabad district. I introduced some vocational courses of two years at the Intermediate level. Multi-Purpose Health Worker(MPHW), Medical Lab Technology (MLT) Commercial Garment & Design Making (CGDM) and Computer Science ((CS) and other courses and also nine short term courses. All these courses were running successfully as they are employment and self -employment oriented. We developed a card showing the vital health information after taking the blood samples from the college students by the Paramedical students In each card showing blood group, haemoglobin percentage, height and weight (Body Mass Index). This was done as part of the practicals. We conducted a small medical camp in a nearby village Gangapur collected blood samples from 40 villagers. We gave them the cards showing the vital information as said above.we couldn’t continue it as there was a mixed response. For the computer students, we could get a small assignment of collecting data from the shops in Mancherial and uploaded it to Hyderabad based company.        
    
Under Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu scheme, we arranged to impart skill development training programme in Kaghaznagar, Rebbana, Mancherial of The then Adilabad District and Jammikunta of Karimnagar District. Two hundred girls were imparted training in Garment stitching by Industrial sewing machines. After training these girls were given the placement in Garment units in Bangalore. They were provided with food and accommodation in addition to salaries. Within six months most of the girls came back to their places. More than 1000 students were imparted training in data entry and other computer-enabled services. Most of them were given placement in Hyderabad based Data Entry and call centres. Even these candidates were dropped out citing the various reasons like change In weather and food habits and other ridiculous reasons. I took a contract for the stitching of 10000 school uniforms from the then Apco in one year another year from Rajiv Vidya Mission. I had given this assignment to our CGDM students to the local self-help groups. This experiment was successful but there were certain aberrations. After these experiences, I continued to bring work from the cities and assign them to the skilled workers in the rural areas. In this process, I burnt my fingers due to lack of logistic support. It is a different matter but taking my experience and experiment we can impart the skill development training provide the employment opportunities in the rural areas having tie-up with the industries like Garment units, call centres, Diagnostic centres, hospitals and other organisations based in Metropolitan cities. Thus the benefits of Demographic Dividend can be reaped.

Decongest the urban areas and discourage the people coming from the rural areas and encourage the industries and the industrialists for promoting industries in rural areas by providing various incentives catering to their needs for creating employment opportunities in villages and small towns as the communication and the transportation are no longer barriers for the movement of the goods and the services. 

The available statistics of the Medical and the paramedical facilities and the personnel reveal the distressed conditions prevailing in our country’s health facilities. One doctor for 10000 population is available in our country whereas eight doctors in China and 67 doctors in Cuba, which is one of the smallest countries in the world. The paramedical posts sanctioned in 1,58,417 Sub-centres, Primary Health Centres (PHC) and the community centres are 3,16,884 Whereas 2,01,783 are working. Even these sanctioned posts are inadequate to the needs and the demands of the Health Sector as per The Indian Public Health Standards. (IPHS) The budget allocated in the present financial year 2020-21 is 67,112 crores which is insufficient.

Employment Generation can be created focusing on the rural areas for the Integrated and the Holistic development in the villages where 66% of the population live in the villages.  Funds should not be a problem looking at the scale of the Development and its results. Committees at the central level and the State level and the District level should be constituted consisting of all the representatives of the political parties, Intellectuals, prominent engineers and eminent Doctors and other Stakeholders for creating confidence among the public that they are safe in the hands of the Governments at the Centre and the State.

Poverty alleviation, Employment Generation, Accessibility to quality health facilities and the Quality Education opportunities and Reasonable Shelter would be possible if an adequate allocation of Budget from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 15% of our GDP is made this year and continue it for three years for the Rural Development, Rural Industries, Health and Education. The Gestation period is less compared to other long term investment and expenditure. Let us rise the occasion and be magnanimous to recognise the quality of life. Let us hope our Agriculture and the rural economy enable us to withstand any eventuality and does not cause major lives and the livelihoods.