Defending the Major Challenges of Social Development in Odisha

To create and implement efficient strategies to transform current socio-economic circumstances of India, both government and non-government organizations are working resourcefully. When we focus at social development in Odisha, the inclusion of rural communities come into view. All the developmental strategies and programmes are requiring active participation of beneficiaries. For making the policies more successful, we have to identify and eliminate the threats.

Streamlining Social Work in Rural Communities of Odisha:

Before implementing any strategy, we have to check all the internal and external factors those can impact on the implementations. Identifying the right stakeholders along with classifying the strengths and weaknesses of the programme is too important. For making the programmes more resourceful, we have to review all sorts of threats, opportunities, and solutions beforehand.

Major Focussed Areas:

• Education – It is the most essential thing to check while preparing a long-term strategy. Right from eradicating illiteracy to making rural people sustained by making them employable is possible with promoting education. Providing all sorts of facilities and encouraging more enrolments through schools are the greatest goals.
• Employment – Through proficient strategies, making the rural people more employable is possible. Creating employability opportunities through promoting industrialization is an efficient solution. Making the rural people self-employed is also a greater achievement through social development in Odisha programmes.
• Empowerment – Women empowerment is being considered as one of the major goals of through social work in rural communities of Odisha. Evolve of SHGs or Self-Help Groups and some other initiatives made it more functional.
• Enhancement – Bringing basic health and sanitation facilities nearer to the village people is creating positive changes. The improving maternal health, combating malaria and other diseases, reducing child mortality, etc are some notable achievements.

Main External Factors:

1. Economic – Creating and implementing policies for economical reformation could be beneficial for the rural communities along with raising the overall growth rate of the state. Eradication of inflation, poor economic and banking infrastructure, etc creates hope.
2. Environmental – Nowadays, the discussions on climate change is rising all over the world. Clean and sustainable energy sources, watershed development, encouragement for forestry, protection of natural resources, etc are the most important goals.
3. Political – To bring these transformations, stronger political commitment from both ruling and opposition political parties is essential. Through providing sufficient budgetary support and monitoring the progress, better goals can be achieved. Coordination between the state and central government is also required.
4. Socio-cultural – In the support of NGOs, civil societies, and media houses spreading awareness among people to incorporate developmental programs has positive impacts. Direct participation of villagers makes the social work in rural communities of Odisha fruitful. It starts with the elimination of tribe and caste based social discriminations.
5. Technological – For making the strategies of social development in Odisha more resourceful, technological intervention became essential. Use of advanced communication facilities is also bringing positive changes.

Creating and implementing resourceful social developmental strategies along with eliminating the threats accelerates the process.

Franklin Porter is an activist and works for bringing Social Work in Rural Communities of Odisha. He shared his views on Social Development in Odisha. He highlighted the best solutions to boost the development process in the state.