AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK 

D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

ii AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

 Terms of Reference for
an Appraisal Mission to initiate
an area development programme in Bihar

1 . B a c k g r o u n d

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) – an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) – is a private, non-
denominational, development agency, established by His Highness the Aga Khan in Switzerland in 1967. The
Foundation seeks sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty through an integrated, community
based, participatory approach that reinforces civil society and respects local culture.

In India, AKF has promoted the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), which has primarily worked with
rural communities of Gujarat for over two decades, organizing and training them in methods of natural resources
management. It has also supported a host of civil society organizations – both within the AKDN and outside –
primarily in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in areas of rural
livelihoods, health and education. Since 2002, AKF has taken a more active role in implementing multi-sector
programmes in the villages affected by natural disasters like earthquake and tsunami. In the process, it has
harnessed the diverse expertise of different AKDN agencies and has moved effectively from disaster response
to area development programmes.

The board of AKF has now approved an expansion plan to the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP). In keeping
with the stated approach of the AKDN, this will be an integrated area development approach, covering aspects
of rural livelihoods, health, education and development of civil society. This programme will leverage the core
competence of AKDN of working with the ultra-poor and marginalized while contributing directly to the priority
development issues of the government in these two states .

The integrated area development approach of AKDN would be initiated in Bihar through a two-pronged approach:
(1) Micro-level initiatives at the grassroots where the beneficiaries are organized to (a) access, demand and
manage essential goods and services; (b) institutionalize processes of inclusion for weaker and marginalized
sections of the society, including women; and (c) deal with more formal external institutions of governance,
markets and civil society. (2) Macro-level initiatives at a broader level, that lead to the creation and sustenance
of an enabling environment through (a) institutions of civil society, including independent knowledge and
communication resources; (b) stronger institutions of governance, including the PRIs; and (c) viable enterprises
that provide for economic growth.

1
Sachhar committee report.

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK iii

D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

A base report was prepared after consulting the available literature and interacting with key individuals and
agencies working in Bihar . Based on this report, a summary note was prepared and shared with key persons
within AKDN . In addition, consultations were held with AKRSP (India) to develop the core objectives of the
expansion programme and develop a set of criteria to identify new programme areas in Bihar. The criteria were
as under:

• Areas with mixed population with significant concentration of disadvantaged community groups including
the Muslim minorities.

• Focus on areas with high incidence of extreme poverty and general social and economic backwardness
indicated by poverty level, income and ownership of assets and indicators on Human Development Index

• Areas with good accessibility from the State Headquarter (Patna) in terms of distance and relative ease of
communication

• Presence of enabling social and political environment with overall satisfactory law and order situation and
stable local socio-political conditions

• Areas where sustained developmental activities can be carried out without serious threat of disruptions from
recurrent and severe natural calamities like floods;

• Areas where chances of success is relatively high.

Based on the criteria listed above and further consultations in AKF and partners and other agencies working
in Bihar, field visits to select areas of Bihar and secondary information review, three Districts- Muzaffarpur,
Samastipur and Patna were short-listed for detailed appraisal by the present Mission.

2 . Ob j e c t i v e s of t h e A p p r a i s a l

• Recommend location(s) for initiating the area development programme and suggest the coverage/ scale of
the programme while delineating potential development blocks (and laying down criteria for identification of
village clusters) within the districts already identified, along with possible location of field offices (operational
criteria);

• Carry out a rapid situation analysis of the proposed districts/ blocks in terms of the developmental status
of disadvantaged communities and suggest thematic components, along with the priorities and possible
sequencing on which the programme intervention should focus

• Suggest a strategy for the implementation of an effective integrated area development programme which
can address the critical development issues of the selected area and bring long-term sustainable impact

• Develop a strategic action plan to create/ strengthen an enabling environment in Bihar for

o introducing innovative approaches of area development,

o building capacity of local civil societies and

o facilitating development of appropriate state policies/ programmes.

3 . O u t p u t s

debriefing note

At the end of the field visit, the team will develop a debriefing note, which will include major findings and
recommendations of the team as per the objectives outlines above.

2
Development Status in Bihar with Special Reference to Muslim Minorities in the State
3
Bihar. Internal draft Jan 07.

iv AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

 annex I

draft report

The team will develop a draft report detailing findings, assessment and recommendations of the team on each
of the items as specified in the scope of work detailed below.

final report

The final report, complete with all annexes, will be forwarded to AKF one week after receiving comments on the
draft report.

4 . S c o p e of Work

Review the selection of Districts in terms of criteria laid down by AKF for selection of new area in Bihar

Delineate contiguous blocks and village clusters in the selected Districts for program implementation, based on
secondary information, conduct a field assessment and consult key local agencies

Carry out a rapid SWOT analysis for the proposed interventions in Bihar. This should relate to the strategic
environment in which AKDN will be operating in the State.

Conduct a rapid situational analysis in selected areas on the current status of income and employment,
livelihood, health, education, service delivery and some key HDI indicators like gender with special reference to
disadvantaged and marginalised communities

Carry out consultations with the key agencies of Government, Civil Societies and PRI in the selected areas and
broad consultations with key NGOs and Government functionaries at the State, district, block, village levels

Dialogue with local communities with special emphasis on disadvantaged communities using appropriate tools
to assess community development needs and priorities

Map the current status of Civil Societies working in the selected area and suggest possible areas of
collaboration

Assessment of key Government programs currently being implemented in the selected area and its possible
impact on the proposed strategy

Assessment of local social-political dynamics in terms of caste-class hierarchies and its implications on collective
actions, equity in access to programme benefits and the potential for development of a pluralistic ethos

Assess the local migration patterns and its likely implications on the proposed programme

Assess the unique developmental challenges in selected peri-urban areas of Patna District and suggest integrated
development program for the same.

Devise and recommend a strategy for working in the selected area, keeping in mind the need for up-scaling
by other agencies (both government and NGOs). The suggested action plan should recommend the overall
approach, program focus, implementation strategy, institutional arrangement and extent and coverage of its
activities.

The Mission would articulate the various elements of both the micro and macro-level initiatives, focusing
particularly on their inter-connectedness. It is also possible to work out a distinct civil society development
programme at the macro level, specifically to address areas with weak presence of NGOs.

5. Method of Work

The Mission should devise a strategy for the successful conduct of appraisal keeping in view the objectives
and scope of work explained above. The team members are encouraged to compile secondary/ background
information and interact with key agencies and individuals at the State level prior to the actual launch of the
Mission.

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK 

D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

The Mission would visit potential blocks, observe the geographical and social-political conditions, interact with
local community and other relevant local stakeholders like government agencies from block to District level, local
NGOs, PRI representatives and such to develop a comprehensive understanding of the local environment. Focus
group discussions and use of PRA tools with the village community particularly with the disadvantaged groups
can be useful for understanding local developmental issues and community priorities.

While the key observations and suggestions would be made during the Mission through appropriate
presentation modes decided at the outset, a more comprehensive and detailed set of deliverables
would be expected to be submitted by the individual members of the Mission within 4 days from
the completion of the Mission. The Mission Coordinator would synthesise all these drafts to provide
a comprehensive draft report, no later than 15 days from the close of Mission. The final report is
expected within seven days from the receipt of comments from AKF.

6 . T e a m C o m p o s i t i o n

The members of the appraisal team, along with their key responsibilities and expected deliverables
is attached at Annex I.

7 . T i m i n g

The Appraisal will be conducted from 14th Of May to 21st of May. Detailed schedule of the Appraisal
is attached in Annex II.

8 . P r i n c i p l e B a c k g r o u n d D o c u m e n t s

AKDN, AKF and AKRSP Annual Reports;

A brief note on the development status and issues in Bihar;

Note on District selection in Bihar.

vi AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

 annex Ii

Appraisal Mission to Bihar

M e mb e r s P o s ta l A d d r e s s C o n ta c t Key responsibilities*

S Ram Bhat A 3, Leela Apartments Tel: 080-23411039, 23419259 Team coordination; Overall group facilitation;
Options and 44/478 Ashram Colony Fax: 91-80-23419259 Overall synthesis;
Solutions 6th Cross, RMV II Stage Mo: 0-9448463947
Bangalore 560 094 options.solutions@gmail.com

Dr Dinesh Singh 620, Kasmanda Regent Apts. Mo: 0-9415322492 Health sector assessment; development and
Consultant 2 Park Road, Hazratganj dneshsingh@yahoo.com analysis of intervention options (short & long
Lucknow 226 001 (UP) term-in N Bihar in general and PPA in particular)

Vinay K Kantha East & West Educational Tel: 91-612-2670944 Education sector assessment; development
Patnu Univ Society, Arogya Mandir Mo. 0-9431019351 and analysis of intervention options (short &
Hospital Compound, Nala enw1@rediffmail.com long term - in N Bihar in general and PPA in
Road, Patna-800 004 particular)

Anindo Banerjee Head, Internal Programme Tel/Fax- 0612- 2267558/7 Mapping of civil society; policy dimensions;
PRAXIS Initiatives, Praxis- Patna Office, Mo: 0-9431815473 potential interventions with civil society
18A, Patliputra Colony, anindob@praxisindia.org (in Bihar, North Bihar, PPA)
Patna-800013

Sourindra BASICS, 2nd Floor Mo: 0-9818452090 Rural income enhancement opportunities -
Bhattacharya 66, Hemkunt Colony, sourindra@basixindia.com short, medium and long term (in N Bihar in
BASICS Greater Kailash 1, general and PPA in particular)
New Delhi 110048

D K Mishra 30 E, Patliputra Colony Tel.: 0612- 2771404 Floods - community actions, government
Barh Mukti Abhiyan Patna-800013 Mo.: 0-9431303360 response, research agenda, outlook
mishradk@sify.com

Rajeshwar Mishra 301, Amitabh Kunj, Tel./Fax: +91 612 2533094 Social & political processes at the local
Budha Colony, Mo: 0-9434004964 level; unique challenges to development of
Patna – 800 001 rajeshwarmishra789@rediffmail.com marginalised communities;

C A Priyadarshi L- 164, Road No- 23, Tel.: 0612-2524996 Political processes at the local level; social
S.K. Nagar Mo.: 0-9431077343 movements & its impact on civil society
Patna 800001 ca_darshi@yahoo.co.in

Suman Singh Arpana Bank Colony Tel. 0612-3097728 Livelihoods - particularly from women’s
Sakhi Phase II, Ramjaipal Road, Mo. 0-9431021204 perspective, fisheries dynamics, legal
PO Danapure Cantt., sakhipatna@rediffmail.com frameworks, etc.
New Bailey Road,
Patna - 801503

R R Kalyan Maurya Lok Commercial Tel.: 0-612-2207328; 2227565 Livelihoods - financial services, NGO
RGVN Complex, Block-C, 3rd Floor (Fax); 2594599® Mo: 0-9431004334 collaboration, legal frameworks, etc.
Patna- 800 001 rrkalyan@rediffmail.com
kalyan@rgvnindia.org

AKF Sarojini House (2nd floor) Tel.: 011-23782173; 23782174 (fax) Overall coordination; management of the
Somnath, Faiz, 6, Bhagwan Dass Road somnath.bandyopadhyay@akdn.org; process; sector outputs; overall outcome
Seema & Dayaram New Delhi - 110 001 dayaram@akdn.org; seyed.faiz.ext@
akdn.org; seema.pahariya@akdn.org

AKRSP (India) 9 & 10th floor, Corporate House 91-79-66312451, 66312461 Implementation issues; community organisation;
Apoorva, Naga, JP Near Dinesh Hall, Ashram Road apoorva@akrspi.org livelihoods; opportunities
Tripathi, Vahora, Ahmedabad 380009
Alka Mehta

AKPBS, I 405A/407, Jolly Bhavan N° 1 91 22 2200 6337 /7189/9275 Housing; built-environment; sanitation
Surekha 10, New Marine Lines corporate@akpbsi.org
Mumbai 400020

PPA: Proposed Programme Areas;

* indicative only, subject to discussions and finalisation by the Appraisal Coordinator

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK vii

 It i n e r a r y o f t h e A p p r a i s a l M i s s i o n t o B i h a r

viii
M i s s i o n D ay L o c at i o n Activity E x p e c t e d o ut p ut Pa r t i c i pa n t s

Day 1 Patna Introduction of team members; discussion on the Clarity of the task, team-building, fine- Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
(14 May 2007) expected outcome (as a team) and outputs (of tuning logistics; become a purposeful and Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi, Mishra;
individuals); chapter scheme; details expected; coherent team Apoorva, Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya,
itinerary Dayaram, Seema, Faiz & Somnath

Day 2-4 Muzaffarpur/ Visit selected blocks (villages & towns) in two
(15-17 May 2007) Samastipur teams; discuss with local communities, leaders,
officials, NGO staff, service providers & businesses;
assess the need, priorities & willingness to pay of
the potential beneficiaries for different services;
assess the potential for inclusive community action
& broad-based participation of communities; assess
the constraints in service delivery and potential for
improvement through community actions;
Analysis of the different proposed project
areas (PPAs) from the perspective of
initiating an integrated area development
programme; Analysis of the different
programmatic interventions suited to the
different PPAs
Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi, Mishra;
Apoorva, Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya,
Dayaram, Seema, Faiz & Somnath

Day 5 Peri-urban visit selected localities (peri-urban & adjacent rural)
(18 May 2007) areas around in two teams; discuss with local communities,
Patna leaders, officials, NGO staff, service providers &
businesses; understand the social, economic and
cultural dimensions of migration & urbanisation;
assess the need, priorities & willingness to pay
for different services; assess the constraints in
service delivery and potential for community-based
approaches to development
Analysis of the different needs, priorities
and constraints in the social, economic
and cultural dimensions of development;
understanding the special dynamics
related to shifting livelihoods (& shifting
locations); assess possible interventions
that is driven by future needs
Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi, Mishra;
Apoorva, Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya,
Dayaram, Seema, Faiz & Somnath
D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

Day 6 Patna Thematic group discussions:
(19 May 2007) Health (& sanitation), education (basic, vocational
& higher), civil society (institutions, rights & law),
livelihoods (agriculture & allied, non-farm), financial
services, infrastructure (& habitat), environment
(floods & natural disaster), & culture
Draw a broad outline of the status of
different aspects of development; Pull
out the key issues in each that need to
be addressed, particularly in the context
of N Bihar;
Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi, Mishra;
Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya, Dayaram,
Seema, Faiz & Somnath
Resource persons from Bihar as special invitees

Day 7 Patna (i) consolidate inputs from two field groups and a set of powerpoint presentation of the Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
(20 May 2007) thematic discussion groups; key issues, ideas for action for each Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi, Mishra;
thematic area, along with rationale, Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya, Dayaram,
(ii) assess (& prioritise) the development needs,
long-term outcomes, linkages with other Seema, Faiz & Somnath Atanu Dey
opportunities (& associated risks) for AKDN
sectors, etc.
programme in N Bihar/ PPAs;
(iii) develop a strategy and action plan for AKDN,
with phased intervention in identified location(s) and
intervention(s).

Day 8 Patna presentation of thematic issues, priorities, ideas for outline of a broad strategy for AKDN in Ram, Vinay, Dinesh, Anindo, Sourindra,
(21 May 2007) action in PPAs; discussion on the outcome scenario Bihar; outline of a set of initial action Rajeshwar, Suman, Kalyan, Priyadarshi; Nick,
of such actions; discussion on the proposed next points for AKDN in specific PPAs. Bharat, Vahora, Naga, Kukadiya, Dayaram,
steps Seema, Faiz & Somnath Shaibal

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

 annex Iv

Name O r g a n i z at i o n Areas of Expertise C o n ta c t

Dr. P. P. Ghosh Director, Asian Development
Research Institute
Irina Singh Project Director, Women
Development Corporation
Education, Muslim development Asian Development Research Institute,
Issues BSIDC Colony, Off Boring Patliputra Raod,
Patna- 800013
Tel: 0612- 2265649, 2267773
Mobile: 09431024906
Email: ppghoshadri@yahoo.co.uk
Gender issues, women Women Development Corporation,
livelihoods 2nd Floor, Indira Bhawan, R.C. Singh Path,
Bailey Road, Patna 800001.
Tel: 0612- 2200695, 2234096
Mobile: 09431062913
Email:

Rajeev Singh Sakhi Fisheries Arpana Bank Colony, Phase II, Ramjaipal Road,
P.O. Danapur Cantt. New Bailey Raod,
Patna- 801503 Mobile: 09431021204 (PP)
Email: sakhibihar@gmail.com

Mihir Sahana BASICS Livelihoods, Institutional Sri Krishna Puri, Patna

development Mobile: 09431009541
Email:
Rakesh Jha Coordinator, PACS programme Poverty, Civil Society networking Patna Mobile: 09868501574
Email: jharakeshk@gmail.com

Ganesh Executive Secretary, Adithi Girls education, women 2130 State Bank Colony 11, Bailey Road,
development, handicrafts Patna - 800 14,
Mobile: 09334910246
Email: adithiwomen@rediffmail.com

P.K. Sharma General Secretary, Centre Direct SHG, human trafficking, health 2nd Floor, Sudama Bhawan, Boring Raod,
Patna 800001 Tel: 0612- 2265938
Mobile: 09304010293
Email: centredirect@yahoo.com

Arshad Ajmal Al Khair Cooperative Credit Micro-credit, Muslim Haroon Colony, Phase II, Patna
Society development, peri-urban Tel: 0612-2252404
poverty Mobile: 09931606687
Email: arshadajmal@yahoo.co.in

Amit Sinha AVARAN Micro-insurance Email: kmamitsinha@yahoo.com

Mobile: 09431644886
Arbind Singh Executive Director, Nidan Informal sector workers, Sudama Bhawan, Boring Road, Patna
cooperatives, social security Tel: 0612-2570705 09431019083
Email: nidanpat@hotmail.com,
singharbind@hotmail.com
Pranav/Dr. B. K. CENCORED Governance issues, A- 16, Budha Colony, Patna- 800001, Bihar
Sinha Panchayati Raj Institution Tel: 0612- 2523858
Email: sansarg@rediffmail.com,
info@cencored.org, pranav@cencored.org
Mobile: 09835097590 (Pranav),
Sinha- 09431024028

Mukesh Sharan State Programme Manager,
Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion
Society
Livelihoods, Microfinance
Vidyut Bhawan Annexe, Bailey Road,
Patna 800001
Mobile: 09934014194
Email: mcsharan@rediffmail.com,
mukesh@brlp.in

Mishra NABARD Rural Development Maurya Lok Complex, Block B (4&5th Floor),
Dak Bunglow Road, Patna
Tel: 0612 2223985 (91) 0612 2213584, 2210870

Manoj Verma Director, Integrated
Development Foundation
Women empowerment, RCH,
water sanitation, PRI
Opp Shyamal Hospital,
Shyam Nagar, Maurya Path,
Khajpura, Patna 800014
Tel: 0612- 2588682, 2581553
Mobile: 09431456434
Email: idfpatna@hotmail.com,
idfman93@sancharnet.in

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK ix

D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

N a m e O r g a n i z at i o n A r e a s o f E x p e r t i s e C o n ta c t

Arun Nayar CBO, CARE Health and nutrition
Dr. Shirin Head- Health UNICEF Health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS,
Education, Communication
Sanitation, Disaster
management, child protection
House 100, Road1E, New Patliputra Colony,
Patna - 800013
Ph:+91-612-2276991, 2276735
Mobile: 09835443284
Email:anair@careindiabih.org
No-8, Patliputra Colony, Patna 800013
Tel: 0612- 2275.722, 2261.728, 2275.720
Mobile: 09934208347
Email: svarkey@unicef.org

Afaque Faizi Secretary to MoRD Education, Muslim Mobile: 09868737886

development Issues Email: aaafaizi@gmail.com

Afzal Hussain

Prof Fazle Rab Head - Institute of Objective Muslim issues

Studies, Bihar Chapter

Rajesh Srivastava EDI Flat No-101, Brijnandan Residency Apartment,

Rose Bird Nursery School lane, Opp. A. N.
Collage, Boring Road, Patna - 800013
Ph- 0612230153

B.P. Mishra Regional Manager, Water Aid Water and sanitation related 1266, Bhoi Nagar, Unit-9, Bhubaneswar 751022
issues Tel: 0674- 2531266
Mobile; 09437072262
Email: mishra@wateraidindia.org
Prof. M.N. Karna Eminent sociologist (ex Director Land, agararian structure Prof. M. N. Karna, 14, Aprajita Apartment,
A. N. Sinha Institute, & Prof. Bahadurpur Housing Colony, Patna 800026.
NEHU, Shillong) Tel: 0612-2353909
M 09334165441
Email:mnkarna@yahoo.co.in
Prof Rashmi Singh Patna Medical College and Patna Medical College & Hospital,
Hospital Ashok Raj Path, Patna 80003
Mobile: 09835022289
Archana Coordinator, RRC, Population RCH, Advocacy in Health, 123 A, Patliputra Colony, Patna
Foundation India Email: arch158@yahoo.co.in
Mobile- 09431264202
Tel: 0612- 2270634

S. Samraj Project Director, Pathfinders RCH, Family planning House No- 189, Ground Floor,
Patliputra Colony, Patna 800013
Tel: 0612- 2276870/71
Mobile: 09835253839
Email: sam_pathfinder@yahoo.com,
pricharproject@sify.com

 AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

 De-briefing Note (Somnath)
District Samastipur
Block Pusa
Date: 15 May 2007

Visited:
The office of the block development officer;
A village with overwhelming presence of Muslims;
Another village of Scheduled Caste communities;
Vice-Chancellor, Rajendra Agriculture University (PUSA)

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

1. Livelihood profile of a predominantly Muslim village (Muhammedpur Kuari)

• Out of 1,900 households, about 1,350 households are Muslims (the rest being Scheduled Castes),
spread across 22 tolas (hamlets) with a population of about 10,000;

• 75% of the people are agriculture labourers. 381 job cards have been issued till date under the
NREGS, of which 100 are women. The job provided to these people by the Panchayat is earth removal
which, in this case, has resulted in the creation of a pond (200 ft X 160 ft) on the floodplain of the river
flowing nearby. While payment of over 3 lakh has been done till date, payments of nearly a lakh was
pending;

• About 30% of households own less than 10 kantha land (20 kantha make a bigha, 3 bighas make
an acre, and 7.5 bighas make a hectare), where they mostly grow vegetables like brinjal, tomato,
cucumber, ladies fingers, etc. The functional vegetable market at the nearby Waini Pusa Road ensures
good off-take of the produce from the village;

• Migration of labour to Punjab (agriculture fields), Delhi and Kolkata (labourers in the markets) is
common. Migration from the more educated households is for government services;

• Only about 5 households (probably related to each other) hold over 20 acres of land. These large land-
holdings generally produce rice, wheat and maize (and some tobacco). These are lands that provide
opportunities for employment of wage labour to the landless and the small land-owners. The chief
constraint is protective irrigation during the occasional dry spells. Although it does not cost much,
given the shallow depths at which water is available, the landowners do not have much incentives in
investing in this critical infrastructure;

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK xi

D e v e l o p m e n t i n B i h a r o v e r v i e w, a p p r a i s a l a n d a p p r o a c h

• Litchi orchards are common, an average tree producing 8-10,000 pieces per year. Orchards are given
on contract to traders during the time of flowering (@ about Rs 400 per tree), who then takes care of
the rest of the fruiting and plucking.

2. Muslim women in village Mohammedpur Kuari reveal wide disparities in various aspects.

• Only 10 % of the households send their daughters to school. Presently there are at least 250 matriculate
women, most of whom are sitting idle at home. While mothers agree that girls need to be educated and
allowed to pursue a career of their choice, in reality they focus largely on their marriage, often spending
2-3 lakh in the process. These girls rode bicycles to educate themselves in schools 5 km away, have
traveled outside and are eager to learn more (mostly computers) and take up regular jobs. Waini
has a residential girl’s school – run by a NGO – where facilities are quite stretched, but fully utilized
by these girls. The panchayat pramukh is also a woman (by proxy, as per detailed discussions with
her husband).

• On the other hand, an overwhelming majority of women within the community are almost destitutes.
They have no assets, often even goat or chicken, and survive only on wage labour from the agriculture
fields, where they are paid Rs 25-30 for a day’s work – less than half of the rate paid to men. Also,
there are no SHGs or any other organization of women, which was rather surprising given the general
awareness, connectedness and openness of the community.

3. All government schemes and programmes are grossly under-performing.

• Only 50 groups have been formed since 1999 under the SGSY scheme, and not much is known about
the achievements of the groups;

• Only 39 petitions for shallow tubewells have been forwarded to the SBI – the lead bank that provides
subsidies (that too, only for the machine) under the Million Shallow Tubewell Programme (MSTP);

• 6,239 job cards have been issued under the NREGS. However, of the allocated 67 lakhs, only 10 lakhs
have actually been spent;

• 306 quintals of grains is allocated per month to the 70 schools in the block under the Mid-day meal
scheme. However, no grain has reached these schools over the past two months;

• 260 dwelling units have been constructed under the Indira Awas Yojana till date.

4. Delivery of essential services is, at best, skeletal.

• All 13 panchayats in the block have a middle school (upto seventh standard), and 4 panchayats have a
high school. However, every panchayat also has at least two private schools (referred to as “convents”
in the area). Government school teachers are perceived to be engaged in mid-day meal and supervision
of construction activities, and hence less involved in actual teaching activity. The average stay of a
teacher in a government school is also perceived to be less.

• The Kissan Credit Card, issued by the Central Bank and the PNB, is supposed to provide credit to small
farmers up to three times their investments. However, timely disbursement of loans is a major issue.

• Seeds and other farm inputs are available only through a private sector monopoly agency. The only
other alternative is the PUSA institute that has a model of involving KVKs in developing “seed villages”,
creating “seed associations”, processing these, screening these through certification systems and
servicing through a joint stock company held by the university, farmers and the government. While this
sounded great, the villagers, even those around the university, did not know of such schemes.

5. The roles and responsibilities of the PRIs and the State administration are unclear, and often conflicting.

• The PRIs have been elected after a gap of 28 years and clearly there is zeal to demonstrate its
effectiveness;

• The PRIs appointed over 1 lakh teachers for the various government run schools on contract. These
teachers believe they would become government employees eventually, drawing their salary from the
government exchequer;

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• The PRIs are also tasked with identifying the “BPL” families – a task where almost each decision is
disputed;

• Implementation of several schemes like the NREGS and the mid-day meal scheme are bureaucratically
delayed, and hence made ineffective.

This implies that while there is little delivery of services at the grassroots, neither the State administrative
apparatus nor the institutions of peoples’ representatives at the grassroots are accountable. In fact the State
administration is apprehensive that the growing clout of the PRIs would lead to inappropriate identification
of beneficiaries of the limited government schemes (as had happened in the case of appointment of school
teachers).

6. The Rajendra Agriculture University (PUSA) is an ineffective resource for the local livelihoods.

• It has a fair knowledge of what needs to be done, emphasizing five things: (i) honey production (40-60
kg/ box/ yr, or about 6,000 tonnes per year); (ii) organic farming; (iii) seed availability; (iv) appropriate
technology (spoke about zero-tilling machines); and (v) appropriate management (integrated farming
systems that centre around a pond with dwelling [and vegetable/ mushrooms], horticulture, animal
husbandry and agriculture on its four sides, which will maximize and diversify production even from
1 acre land holding);

• The locally developed maize variety – Quality Protein Maize (QPM) – was talked about, which seemed
appropriate for small land holders, could be done in conjunction with potato and bagla, and provided
additional nutrition and value adding opportunities;

• Artificial insemination of cattle (retaining about 65% purity of blood) was being done but at a limited
scale. Poultry and duckery was also being researched;

• Fisheries show a lot of potential. However, of the 65,000 ha of fish ponds in the State, over 25,000
is directly under the control of the government where the production is around 2000 kg/ ha/ yr, while
those under control of the people are around 6000 kg/ ha/ yr. These fish ponds are either in the
chaurs (45,000 ha), ox-bows (9,000 ha) or reservoirs (7,300 ha). The major constraint for fisheries is
the availability of seeds. Hatcheries need to be developed through a commercial approach and catfish
show immense promise for water bodies of short duration. Wetland crops (such as makhana) also need
to be supported.

District Muzaffarpur
Block Sakra
Date: 16 May 2007

Visited:
Hamlets of different communities, ICDS centre, village level PHC, block level PHC, Panchayat head at the village,
a village market, a functional SHG of women.

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

1. General health care system is highly stressed, while challenges multiply.

• TB, malaria and kalazhar (important) is showing an increasing trend;

• Snake bites and animal bites are also important health issues;

• AIDS testing is done in a limited way through NGOs, but shows an increasing trend;

• Routine immunization is weak, although focused efforts have happened in pulse polio;

• Only 20-30 % of the rural households have latrines at home. The Indira Awas Yojana reaches too few
people. However, a lot of people are now open to spending their own money in building latrines at their
homes.

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2. ICDS programme provide only a chocolate to each kid.

• Of the two ICDS centres visited, the Sevika in one was sick and the other was absent. The Sahayika in
the first was absent but was available in the latter for talks;

• Clearly, none of the services were being made available, either to the mothers or to the kids;

• The registers were not being maintained, neither were the locations suitable for running the centre;

• However, it was most surprising to note that the community was protecting the Sevika and the
Sahayika who were apparently hand-in-glove with all the officials higher up the chain to siphon off all
the resources that were available to run the ICDS centre. The community was getting a chocolate per
day per child, at 11 am daily!

This implies that for the community a chocolate is a privilege worth protecting, rather than demanding services
that will be promised but not provided. The system itself is seen as a mode of employment, rather than services,
and the community care more about the employment of members from their groups. The Appraisal Mission is a
outside team which was perceived to be able to threaten the job security of these persons.

3. The quality and portfolio of health services at the village-level PHC has sharply deteriorated.

• In 1991, this village-level PHC was staffed with 2 doctors, 1 compounder, 1 health educator, 1 specialist
for leprosy, 1 administrator and 1 peon; all of them have now been shifted, and only 2 ANM workers
remain;

• The ANMs cover a population of 15,000 people in quite far flung areas, are not equipped with any
medicine or supplies, and focus largely on pulse polio, weekly immunization and family planning;

• There are also a couple of ASA workers, who are trained for providing services to attended birth. The
incentives are Rs 200 for each attended birth that they facilitate (sometimes they stay on for 3-4 days),
Rs 900 for immunization during the first 9 months and another Rs 600 for complete immunization.
Often the money is promised for payment at the end of the cycle…

4. The block level PHC (also called the referral PHC) is severely under-resourced and overworked.
• There are seven doctors and two nurses who work round the clock to attend to the needy to the best
of their ability. The nurses are perhaps ruining their own health trying to improve the health of others;

• There is a list of 108 medicines that is available to the PHC which include gauge, cotton, scissors etc;
moreover, medicines are sent to the PHC without requesting a demand, which often results in stocking
of irrelevant supplies;

• The pay scales of doctors have not been revised, they often need to pay a bribe to get their salary and
their residences are in a dilapidated state. The PHC was promised an ambulance, which was flagged
off by the district official (known through a press photograph), but never reached the block PHC, 30
km away! There was also a half-built building next to the PHC which was never completed, although
it promised all diagnostic services including MRI. Interestingly, the PHC does not even have an X-ray
machine! The pressure to perform seems to have increased considerably now, without commensurate
attention to their specific needs, leading to contemplation of mass retirement schemes.

5. Irrigation is a major issue, particularly for the small farmers.

• About 30% of the households own as low as 1-2 kantha of land, while another 30% own about 10-15
kantha. During dry spells, irrigation is a life-line for these small farmers. The only source is groundwater,
available at about 120 ft. Apart from the fact that there is a dearth of power supply in the region, there
is only one tube-well which sells water at the rate of Rs 80/ hr. Generally, one kantha is irrigated in one
hour. While the cost of a tube-well varies with the quality of the pipe, it is about Rs 25-30,000 which
not many people are willing to invest.

There are several possibilities – (a) the government subsidy scheme (million shallow tube-well project), although
not easily available, provide a psychological barrier for investment, (b) the absentee land-lords, owning the
largest agricultural tracts, are too focused on deriving rents without any commensurate investments, (c) the small
and marginal farmers are neither able to invest individually nor able to come together as a group to invest, and

xiv AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

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(d) the serious demand and the gross under-supply mean that there is no surety that those who invest would be
able to control and manage the resource.
6. Some general information about agriculture:
• Availability of seeds and other inputs into agriculture is a serious issue. Sriram Fertilisers is a private
monopoly for most inputs and the quality of services cannot be compared. Seeds are also procured
from the PUSA farm (Rajashree, Prabhat, Turanta varieties of rice) but the costs could be as high as
Rs 110 / kg (a kg of seed is required for 1 kantha of land).

• While rice is the major monsoon crop, maize, potato and tobacco form the major winter crops. The
productivity of maize is about a quintal/ kantha, typically needs about 4 waterings and ends up either
as poultry feed (poorer variety) or consumed directly. The production of potato is about 3 quintals/
kantha and sells commercially for as much as Rs 600/ quintal. The production of tobacco is about
25 kg/ kantha, needs about 2-3 waterings and fetches up to Rs 1500/ kantha.

7. Small-scale animal husbandry is beset with very low productivity.

• The expenses in maintaining a cattle-head is about Rs 13/ day (on fodder, services). However, a milch
cattle provides about 10-15 litre/ day only during the winter season, falling off to about 1-2 litres/ day
during the off-season;

• Procurement through the dairy cooperative provide a constant rate of Rs 11.25 (Rs 10 till a few months
ago), which barely cover the costs;

• People realize that the major constraint is the low yield of local varieties. Efforts to introduce high-
yielding varieties from Punjab and elsewhere have led to inevitable failure. Cross-breeding services
through artificial insemination are just not available. The same holds true for the goat population;

• Maintaining milch animals is difficult. Goats tend to graze, and if it strays to some other farm, limited
resources are threatened, often leading to violent protests. Larger animals need space, which too is
limited. Finally, animal husbandry is practiced by a certain section of the communities who have done
it traditionally, and today own some small land.

8. Mature SHGs are still tentative, apprehensive and insecure.

(Refer Suman Singh’s notes, which will be more detailed on this aspect)

• Flexibility of re-payment doesn’t indicate any maturity or financial discipline.

9. There is a bad experience of other NGOs in the region.

• There was a NGO that operated for about 7-8 months, provided some training, promised some credit
and enterprise promotion activity, but fled with the savings of the groups. What was incredible was the
fact that these people live in a nearby town, where people from the village meet them regularly but have
obviously given up on the money without any challenge or animosity.

This implies that it might be easy to defraud people as a collective, where individual stakes are low and individual
efforts to redress grievances will also benefit others.

10. Young people clearly see their future outside their villages, and government jobs are the most coveted.

• There is a huge demand for vocational training, but the ITIs are too few, with poor quality of training
and are not properly linked to the job opportunities in the market;

• The other alternative is general education, which do not provide technical skills but open up opportunities
for white-collar government jobs. Many young people have joined the armed forces, railways and such
other government jobs.

11. The local weekly markets provide an opportunity for the producers to sell directly.

• The most commonly traded item was milch animals, operated by the men. The prospective buyers
observe the cows for several hours while negotiating the deal which is usually closed towards the end
of the day;

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• The women usually sell small quantities of vegetables. Some other women venture into selling local
snacks. A few men squat to provide barber services.

• There are a few traders, chiefly in grains, and operating with very low volumes;

• An external marketing person was also spotted, selling seeds.

District Muzaffarpur
Town Muzaffarpur
Date: 17 May 2007

Visited:
A litchi processing and packaging plant;
A prominent centre of the local milk union; and
The District Magistrate.

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

1. Although the procurement has increased every year, infrastructure is the key constraint for volumes.

• The litchi plant operates for only 15 days in a year (during the season), with another fortnight for
start-up preparations. However, they pay a flat fee for electricity at Rs 30,000 per annum (which has
arbitrarily been increased to Rs 1,25,000 this year) Interestingly, power supply to the plant itself is quite
erratic and the dependence is on generator sets.

• Road and rail infrastructure does not support transport of refrigerated products. Similarly, the road and
rail infrastructure is not sufficiently deep to touch the far-flung rural areas and tap the milk production.
The truck drivers are often over-worked and the life of the vehicles is considerably less.

2. Inadequate and erratic production in the farms, along with widely fluctuating local demands.

• Milk collection is generally low volume, both during lean seasons as well as during seasons of peak
demand. Many of the routes then become quite unviable and need to be rationalized, but this has an
impact on the cooperative spirit of the dairy enterprise.

• Veterinary service is largely restricted to routine immunization alone.

• The government is handing over non-performing assets to the dairy cooperative with the hope that
all of them would be revived, which is often not the case, simply because of more systemic issues
involved.

3. Trained human resource is a major constraint.

• Local traditional education does not impart any skill training, thereby making them redundant. The litchi
plant employs labourers from Andhra Pradesh at a higher cost. Local persons, if available, are at the
local markets, where they pick up sorting and grading skills.

• Someone mentioned that “people are jobless, because they are useless (berozgar, kyunki bekaar)”.
And this is despite the formal certificates, and even degrees, in many cases.

4. Limited range of value-addition.

• Litchis are sorted for export, which is packaged separately as whole fruit while the rest are peeled, de-
stoned and crushed to form the pulp. The viscous liquid is poured into plastic containers, stored in the
cold chambers and sold to other downstream businesses, mostly as a flavour.

• The range of value-added products from milk is quite large. We sipped lassi, saw curd and flavoured
milk and were told there were a variety of sweets being prepared by the dairy. However, these products
were not so widespread on the shelves indicating that marketing challenges did exist and volumes of
production were low.

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5. Era of darkness in Bihar for the next 10 yrs at least… District Magistrate, Muzaffarpur.

• The major constraint in Bihar would be power over the next decade. There is no infrastructure. Disuse
has led to theft of cables. Floods are a major impediment in installation of power distribution networks.
Recoveries for erratic supplies is naturally low. Bulk consumers are easy targets where arbitrary rates
are “fixed” by the government, irrespective of use.

• The efforts to revive power generation has been few and long-drawn (in one case, another unit was
“cannibalised” in order to revive a unit). No new project is even on the drawing board. Officials of the
State do not even bother to participate in the negotitations to procure power. The State, therefore, is
dependent on the 1000 MW power provided by the Centre, 70 % of which is unaccounted in usage.

• It is interesting to note that Patna consumes about 300 MW power and it is reported that when
Rabri Devi vacated her official CM’s bungalow, no less than 53 air-conditioners were removed and
transported. Power, therefore, is a rare privilege in Bihar.

6. Capital formation and road building are areas that show promise as triggers for growth.

• The government seems to be moving on the road contracts along with reformed mechanisms to check
corruption. Of course, torrential rains and floods would continue to remain an issue, but some quick
gains are likely.

• The World Bank and other development organisations are focusing on capital formation in rural areas
through SHGs. The promotion of micro-finance is also at an all-time high, through a variety of means
– both direct, as well as through credible NGOs. All these are likely to assume a snow-balling effect.

7. Service delivery of the government variety doesn’t even attempt to go beyond the Block level.

• Service delivery is horribly under-resourced, but the expectations continue to be high. A lot of “dressing-
up” is happening at the block level. Ambulance, supplies, equipment etc. are promised for the blocks,
released with fanfare at the district, but never reached the block. Doctors and nurses are an exception.
They are over-worked, and underpaid. Similarly, food for the mid-day meals do not often come out of
the FCI godowns. The backlog is written off, since it is a meal scheme, rather than a grain scheme.

• The circus pans out in three ways at the village level: (1) Notional services, like the ICDS, are continued,
thanks to the Supreme Court ruling, without any conviction or effort from the administration; (2) the
administration is happy to shift the responsibility to the PRIs, both to embarrass as well as to abdicate.
The recent teacher’s recruitments and the BPL list preparation are pertinent cases in this regard;
and (3) high-visibility programmes, like attended births, immunisation, polio etc. (those that are linked
to MDGs and national priorities) is actively functional, often at the cost of several other important
services.

• The dense village population, therefore, often resort to private services in every sphere – health,
education, agriculture – which is often extremely poor quality, leading to wastage of precious
resources.

District Patna
Village Janipur (Murgiachak)
13 km from Patna city
Date: 18 May 2007

Visited:
A hamlet of the Mali community (involved in cultivating and selling flowers).

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

Out of about 100 households, 50 belong to Muslims, 25 to Malis, 10 to Kahars, and the rest to Kumhars, Hajam
and Paswan. Another 10-20 households belong to people who have migrated from across the Punpun river,

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purchased some agricultural land and have settled down here. Average land-holding is about 2 kantha only. The
Muslim families are into agriculture (rice and wheat) and labour.
The Mali community cultivate about 20 bighas in all, where they grow jasmine, along with other flowers. The
rental for one bigha is Rs 4000 per annum. Women from the households are often involved in preparation of
garlands that sell at the village at Rs 8 per 100. They are aware that in the Patna market these sell for Rs 40-50
per 100. However, if they sell directly they have to contend with the following (1) sell quickly between 9-10 am,
before the large shop-owners open and shoo them away; (2) since they have to sell quickly, as well as sell in one
part of the market, they usually under-cut each other in terms of prices and get very little returns; and (3) police
takes Rs 10 from each of them if they are lucky, because otherwise they could also be snatching their money or
beating them up with sticks. Efforts to sell collectively donot work because nobody can trust the person acting
on their behalf. The usual scenario, therefore, is that they make some profit during the marriage season, which
barely cover losses otherwise.
The farm labour wage rates compare with those in the villages of Bihar (Rs 25-30 for women, & Rs 40 for men,
along with food and sometimes grains as agreed). The brick and mortar work, on the other hand provide Rs 60
per day. The benefit of being close to Patna mean jobs are more available – 5-15 days in the city – to fend during
the agriculture lean season. The city-based jobs are usually available through social networks, where wages are
Rs 60-70 per day. However, often a commission of Rs 10 goes to the person who finds the job.
Cynicism and mistrust abound. Widespread corruption affect all government services at the grassroots and these
schemes are seen largely as employment opportunities rather than service delivery. The largest number of court-
cases, however, relate to land disputes – land parcels that have been sold to as many as five different people
simultaneously. We met a male graduate who had worked in a central government department for 7 years, but is
now full time engaged in fighting a court case in the village. We also met a woman graduate who was selected as
an ICDS sevika by the village community but was prevented from taking the job by the Panchayat who preferred
a person from another caste. Jobs are important for all, and government jobs are truly coveted. However, people
are also talking about computer literacy and skills, with the belief that “good” jobs will be available.
People were vocal about individual grievances. They also said that collective efforts will not work because of
deep mistrust within the community. Among different communities, is almost out of question. For instance, while
we spoke to members of the Mali community, other members of the same community came up to speak, but a
group of Muslims only observed us silently from quite a distance.

District Patna
Patna City
Date: 18 May 2007

Visited:
Discussions with Secretary (Disaster Management), Secretariat.

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

A meeting was convened by the Secretary (Disaster Management) Shri Manoj K Srivastava IAS to consult
and launch the high-profile UNDP disaster management programme. At the outset, the Secretary laid out the
importance of disaster management as a priority for the government. The basic UNDP approach of village
disaster management committees, with 6-7 task forces to be trained for search, rescue, first aid etc. was also
described. He was then interested in the limited question – how do you get people to participate in such a
programme genuinely, particularly under normal circumstances?
A variety of opportunities were suggested that build upon the fact that human compassion is natural. These
included sharing success stories, visits, increased awarenss, presentation of data and photographic impressions
to create recall, and linking up with basic service provision like drinking water. The constraints, however, looked
really challenging. These included
• Credibility of government schemes – a history of neglect, unkept promises and corruption has bred
deep cynicism in the people and mere statements of intent, however honest, are unlikely to impress;

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• Fundamental differences in dealing with floods cannot be resolved through the question of participation
in a particular programme. Many believe floods are not a disaster. On the contrary, absence of floods
are. However, Sainath could as well write a book called “Everybody loves a good flood” to bring out
the contradictions.

• The cynicism persists deep into the process details. There was widespread concern over “elite
capture” in the village disaster management committees that would corner the supplies, provisions
and services. In fact, for the early warning systems, someone went as far to say that the best EWS was
the local official sending his family off from the area!

• The Secretary himself recounted the Alwar experience where the community felt that an event that is
likely to happen once in 20 years is not worth preparing for!

The discussants dwelt on the traditional systems during the “chaturmas” when travel, family functions and such
other activities were restrained through religious decree. The idea was to prepare for these four months during
the rest eight months. There were methods of safeguarding food (sattu and poha doesn’t need cooking), fuel,
shelter (on stilts), health and life-risks that are becoming irrelevant in the current context of high intensity floods
due to the embankments.

What was interesting to note was the fact that the Secretary was not only listening to very contrarian views, he
actually encouraged it all along. He himself has a background in activism (before joining the services), which
could partially explain this. However, the culture of speaking up – either as protest or voicing ones opinions – is
very strong at all levels. This is supplemented by high levels of awareness and the willingness to explore new
ideas. However, much of this eagerness to learn is directed towards legal and administrative dimensions, rather
than technical dimensions.

ADDEND U M

Villages in Sakra (Muzaffarpur) and Pusa (Samastipur), Bihar, with a stay in Patna.
07-09 June 2007.

Ob s e r v a t i o n s

1. There is a culture of payments for services NOT provided.

• We hired two taxis from the Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan airport in Patna, one of which broke down
the moment we emerged from the terminal gates. Notwithstanding the trouble of sqeezing people and
luggage of two vehicles into one, the taxi driver demanded payment for both and looked very surprised
when we refused. The explanation given was that the contract was for two vehicles and it is just our
misfortune that one of them broke down;

• We were not as lucky in Muzaffarpur. The hotel was booked for the 7th and 8th but we realised that
there was no point in staying back on the 8th and decided to check out in the morning. Although the
revised schedule was informed on arrival itself, we were made to pay for the 8th as well on the plea
that several potential customers had been refused because of us! The bookings were done through a
friendly local NGO and we decided not to push the issue and leave it to the decision of this organisation.
We paid nevertheless;

• For us, it was just a three-day visit. But for the 83 million odd Biharis, it is a 365 day phenomenon, and
in many cases perpetuated by the State itself. Take power, for instance. The State has little power to
supply and much less ability to manage the distribution system. So, it comes up with a brilliant solution
– charge a flat rate from consumers in rural areas, irrespective of the amount of power consumed
which, in any way, is severely limited by the availability. It is not just the State, however. Farmer after
farmer recounted their woes with seed supplies, adulterated fertilisers and unreliable pesticides. Some
of it, I’m told, is a national phenomenon and hence more acceptable.

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How do you expect people to respond under such systems? First, they consider it a privilege to get any service
at all, be it a rickshaw, food in a dhaba or customer services in a posh hotel. People who complain are either
frowned upon or laughed at. Coupled with the fact that there is a license that is needed to provide any service
– rickshaw, dhaba or hotel, for example – the focus is on procurement of license rather than provision of quality
service. To make matters worse, there are fixed tariffs – again set by the government – for most services. In
effect, profit maximisation for the service provider happens by downgrading services, rather than upgrading.

Second, flat tariffs would tend to change consumer behaviour towards maximising the use of these limited
services. Power is a precious commodity and people have installed props where the poles bringing in the power
supply have begun to crumble. Inside the homes (of at least the more well-off), one could easily find a battery of
rechargeable cells that try to stretch the availability of power. [Where there is no hope of any power, however, the
wires have been cut and sold for whatever they are worth.]

Third, and perhaps the most devastating, is that it breeds a whole system of dependence on free services, of
whatever quality. People depend on grain-bags thrown at them from helicopters in flood affected areas as a
routine. Rail transport is deemed to be pretty much a free privilege in most parts, as are government hospitals
and government schools. No wonder all these services are in shambles. Your conviction to demand a particular
service is very much related to whether or not you pay for that and whether or not there are competing options
vying for that payment! And this is where Bihar is being muted.

2. Large sections in Bihar have actually slid into poverty over the past few decades.

We met a large Muslim family of eight brothers living in a fairly large, but decrepit, building. They still own one
handloom and one powerloom of the four in each category that survive in the village today. There were 250
handlooms and 56 powerlooms set up in the ‘50s, most of which survived till the last decade. What exactly
happened during this period to cause such a decline?

Well, several things, two of which are particularly striking. First, the power supply began to falter and the duration
of power cuts steadily increased. Weavers like this family hoped – on the basis of assurances from their political
leaders – that the sitation would improve. In fact, it just worsened. Second, and this is linked to the first, the
markets disappeared with falling volumes. Again, the government intervened but not with improved power
supplies but with the Khadi and Gramodyog Bhandar. This outfit took over the marketing role for handloom cloth
and supplied yarn to the weavers, much as the middle-men do elsewhere in this sector, reducing these people
to wage labourers in the process.

Today, three of the brothers work in Kolkata in trades related to leather or cloth and one work in Mumbai in a
large powerloom. The rest of the brothers manage the small farm that provide supplementary income to the
family while continuing to keep the looms active so as not to lose the privilege of being associated with the
Khadi Bhandar. It still provides about Rs 57 per day in wages, although it engages the women and children in
the process as well.

The 50-year old house needed urgent repairs but neither the money nor the will was available. Mentally, they had
already shifted to Kolkata and Mumbai. Investments were now more focused on what the kids in the household
would need to make it in these cities. People are indeed voting with their feet.

3. The BPL (Below Povery Line) list is adding yet another plane of fracture among the myriad fractures in
Bihar society.

In order to demolish old caste hegemonies, reservations were applied and, just as in the South, resulted in the
exodus of higher caste people and political empowerment of the backwards. New power equations, however, did
little to improve the lot of the poor. In this regard the present government is at least focused on poverty, rather
than castes.

In the first attempt, however, every household in any village seemed to qualify. There was a cut-off number,
though, which meant that almost everyone who were left out filed a review petition. In the second attempt, a
more objective approach is being adopted by providing points for different indicators of assets and income.
District level cut-off points are announced, dwellings photographed and the list posted in the Panchayat office
for any objection. Even this is not without its share of heart-burns. There are people living in pucca dwellings who

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have definitely slipped into poverty, but will be denied the ‘red card’. People with absolutely dilapidated dwellings
have, in some cases, pulled down their dwelling and started living in newly constructed kuccha structures – the
bricks are still piled in front.

It was incredulous the way a fairly large farmer defended his claim to the BPL list. He claimed that he was
spending on the education of his two children (who were not likely to earn much with the quality of education),
while among the lower castes it is common to find eight children labouring every day and earning Rs 50 each. So,
who’s poor? Even if you take it with a pinch of salt, it remains a good question in the context of Bihar.

4. Children galore, but where are the young adults?

The first thing that strikes you in a village is the number of children, mostly healthy, but not always well-groomed.
They are curious, they are aware and they are very confident. They also get thrashed by anyone who is bigger
and willing to make a point – usually the frustrated mother or the drunk uncle.

Generally, though, they have a good time. They have plenty of friends to play with (and for long hours), make their
own toys with fruits and twigs lying around, usually have a meal at the school and supplement it with fruits and
vegetables generously plucked from any farm that they happen to pass by and even get an occasional chocolate
at the local ICDS centre. They listen intently to any discussion that their elders may have, which usually centre
around politics or society, listen to mythological tales from their grandparents and pick up basic reading, writing
and arithmetic through school education. However, learning in school is definitely a chore rather than fun. In a
gathering of children I asked how many of them went to school. “All”, they said in a loud chorus. I then asked,
“so, what do you learn?” The entire crowd vanished in a flash! If I was examining their knowledge, they would
rather avoid.

This is not to say that they had no knowledge. In fact, quite the contrary. There was a bare-bodied lad whom we
met in the fields and enquired who we were and why were we roaming the fields. We explained briefly and then
asked if he knew where Delhi was. Of course it was the nation’s capital, and when we prodded for more, he said
it was an unusual state with a Chief Minister and a Lt. Governor instead of a Governor. He proceeded to explain
all about the States, Union Territories and the governance systems and seeing our jaw drop an elderly passer-by
explained that he was a bright boy studying in the 10th grade and hoped to do well in the Board examinations.

Children learn a good deal about society and politics anyway from the general discourse all around. They do
know a fair bit about agriculture, food crops and domesticated animals from what they see all around. But,
somehow, the fairy tales of their grandparents have given way to the tales of their immediate elders who come
back from the cities and tell them all about Bollywood and fashion. And, in order to be there, they know, they need
to have vocational skills, working knowledge of computers and ability to speak english. Technology fascinates
them – a kid helped me operate a digital camera which I was unfamiliar with, while girls spoke about computer
aided design courses that they wanted to learn. However, it is politics that pervade their minds and occupy
their time.

5. Strong families, week societies.

It is rather baffling to contemplate how a set of brilliant individuals could be so stupefied as a social group. We
did not hear one good comment about any fellow being. For every suggestion we made as to what could be
done, they were ready with at least five reasons why it was a stupid thought and two examples to prove it. It
is not just among different castes but even between families of the same caste we could sense the mistrust.
This, however, seemed to have created very strong bonds within the members of the same family. Even when
members of a family stay away in cities for prolonged periods, the bonds remain quite strong as evident through
remittances and their strive to help other growing members of the family find their feet in the cities.

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK xxi