Tribal People and Developmental Policies: A Study of Telangana

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This recently conducted empirical based analytical observation provides a clear and comprehensive understanding to the study of tribal development in Telangana. Thus, the book presented in five chapters including introductory chapter which examines issues based on the rights of Scheduled Tribes. The second chapter 'ITDAS and Governance' presents the historical context of the ITDAs, its objectives, structure and administration. The third chapter details the policy framework of ITDAs and presents detailed demographic analysis of Scheduled Areas. The fourth chapter analyses the existing conditions of Scheduled Tribes and presents qualitative analysis based on the field data in the form of people's opinion on the major welfare programmes which were being implemented through the ITDAs. Finally, concluding observations were summarised in final chapter along with methodological propositions.

Sunkari Satyam (b. 1976) is now with Council for Social Development, from Political Science discipline and specialized in Public Policy. He holds Ph.D. from University of Hyderabad. He has been engaging in social science researches such as Analytical, Participatory, Action, Evaluation and Monitoring. His publications primarily focus on Rural Poverty, Social Justice, Welfare and Developmental Policies of Adivasis and Dalits, and Women in Panchayati Raj Institutions. He has published so far two books - Women in Gram Panchayats and Poverty Elimination in Rural India. The present book helps to developmental professionals and policy makers, social sciences' research scholars and NGOs to understand the development pattern of Adivasis.

The present study focuses on understanding people's views on developmental needs with reference to the Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) in two south Indian states - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Besides, it also tries to bring out the voice of the people of Scheduled Tribes (STs) on the provision of services provided through ITDAs to them in its respective jurisdictions and to explore issues related to administration and governance to identify what the practically adoptable needs of local people are. It also deals with institutional aspects of ITDAs in the sense that how these agencies, in fact, have obtained their institutional shape from earlier developmental approaches and their structural-functional issues.

The purpose of the study is to analyze people's views on developmental needs with reference to the ITDAs of the aforementioned states. It examines whether the voice of the people of STs attain proper attention of ITDAs, what services provided fulfil their desires and how ITDAs, as important welfare and administrative units of the state, have explored the development perspective. This major institutional apparatus evolved by the Constitution of India and the Government of India has formulated policies to safeguard the interests of the STS.

A landmark in the history of development of Scheduled Tribes was the initiation of Special Development Blocks during the Second Five Year Plan period. Subsequently, Tribal Development Blocks and Integrated Tribal Development Programme/Agency were launched. Another important aspect in this development paradigm is the formation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It became the nodal ministry for the overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes of development for the welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes. The areas of operation of the ITDAs should be extensive, intensive and inclusive in nature. The extensive policy means enlarging its focus from existing social needs and demands. Policy of intensive is, in other words specific to the people's desires but not as general policy for government's image, and inclusive, means programmes should cover all types, more specifically according to the grassroots observation very few were used the benefits from ITDAs as they have connections with the people but majority were unaware about programmes and its uses who live in remote in the sense that political and administrative disconnected relations. The ITDAs are being poured with funds from different department ministries. Different divisions are headed by the project officer as the head.

The results of the study show that the cause for unfulfilled desires of people is the lack of decentralized planning at the very grassroots. Shielded typical administrative responsibilities, as Max Weber termed it, as well as unviable, rigid policy objectives are the major hurdles in noticing actual needs and desires of the people. In larger spheres of understanding of welfare and development, governments have to capture changing attitudes and demanding needs of people to achieve the targeted goals and objectives.

Studies have revealed that initiatives were inadequate and programmes were unable to target tribal ways of life. They failed to understand the problems of Scheduled Tribes based on geographical diversity and it can be seen that benefits were insufficient and unsustainable. Based on the findings from the review of literature, it is clear that no past study has looked at the people's point of view. Clearly, studies haven't seen 'whether the programmes were suitable to the needs and met the desires of Scheduled Tribes or not. Most of the studies were largely focused on policy perspectives and the process of implementation and political commitments. But, important issues regarding people's needs and desires from empirical point of view cannot be seen in existing literature. Hence, the present study has proposed to draw the following research questions: Are the programmes framed suitable to the needs and desires of Scheduled Tribes? And are the institutional setup and the administration pro- people? Based on these questions, objectives of the study were framed for further research investigation. The study, thus, makes a modest attempt to identify the problems underlying the functioning of ITDAS.