A formal account on delineation of Purvanchal as a Region..

1. Regional Planning
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Omkar Parishwad
The Purvanchal
Region
(An Administrative Region)
The Administrative viability is the component that makes Purvanchal a region. Although a Dalit state
in development transition, it inculcates a strong culture and faces the same problems as the regions
around it…

2. The Location
• Purvanchal is a geographic region of north-central India,
which comprises the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh state. It
is bounded by Nepal to the north, Bihar state to the east,
Bagelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state to the south,
the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh to the west and the end of Doab (at Allahabad) in
Uttar Pradesh to its southwest.
• It is bounded by Nepal to the north, Bihar state to the east, Bagelkhand region of
Madhya Pradesh state to the south, the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh to the west and
the end of Doab (at Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh to its southwest.
• Purvanchal comprises chiefly of three divisions: the eastern-Awadhi region in the
west, the western-Bhojpuri region in the east and the northern-Baghelkhand region in
the south.
• Purvanchal includes the districts of Varanasi, Chandoli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Mirzapur,
Sonbhadra, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau,
Maharajganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth Nagar, and Ballia.
• Mayawati government, at the time of reorganisation of the Uttar Pradesh state, formed
the Purvanchal Economic Zone (Dec 13th, 2009) and rather arbitrarily included the
following non-Purvanchal districts into the zone: Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi,
Fatehpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti and
Balrampur.
Purvanchal as a Formal Region
Land Use characteristics:
• It lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain, and
together with western Bihar is the most
densely populated area in the world.
• The rich quality of soil and the high
earthworm density in the soil than adjoining
districts of U.P. is favourable for agriculture.
Most of the countryside is given to intensive
agriculture.
• The rain fed farming is prominent. Ganga (Jaunpur), Sone (Sonbhadra), Ghaghara,
Rapti and Chhoti Gandak (Deoria), Ghagra (Mau), Ghaghara River (Basti) are the
major rivers. Paddy, wheat (Chandoli) are the prominent crops.
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3. Demographic Characteristics:
Sr. no. District Area (sq. km) Population (2001
census)
1 Varanasi 1,535 km² 3,138,671
2 Chandoli 2,484.70 km2 1,148,732
3 Ghazipur 3,384 km2 3,049,337
4 Jaunpur 4,038 km2 3,911,305
5 Mirzapur 4,521 km2 2,074,709
6 Sonbhadra 6,788 km2 1,463,468
7 Ravidas Nagar 1,055.99 km2 1,302,056
8 Gorakhpur 3,483.8 km2 3,769,456
9 Kushinagar 2,873.5 km2 2,235,505
10 Deoria 2,535 km2 2,730,376
11 Azamgarh 4,054 km2 3,939,915
12 Mau 1,713 km2 1,849,294
13 Maharajganj 2,934.1 km2 2,167,041
14 Basti 7,309 km2 20,68,922
15 Kabir Nagar 1659.15 km2 1,152,110
16 Siddharth Nagar 2,752 km2 2,038,598
17 Ballia 2,981 km2 2,752,412
56,099 km2 4,07,91,907
Most of the population is rural in nature. The urbanized regions are due to the cement
industries located sparsely in the area. The young generation is more in number, thus the age
structure is favourable for development.
Infrastructure:
• Transport services are not developed. The existing once are in need of renovation
(NH28). There is a chance for tourism as the culture (Khushinagar) is strong.
• Literacy levels are very low (40-55%). Sex ratio is around 960.
• As the region is in transition state, they suffer from problems such as food shortage,
bad health conditions, water supply, electricity and other facilities, unemployment,
uneven income groups, etc.
A large population, slow economic growth, agricultural mechanisation, and the closure of
sugar mills have led to increased unemployment, social and political discontent, and some
unrest in the region.
Majority of the people belong to Dalit Samaj. This is what overturns the political strength and
interest for this region. Many have tried to separate it from the Uttar Pradesh state.
Development Authorities have been proposed for most of the major cities.
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4. Purvanchal as a Functional Region
Economic Flows:
• As the transport by rail is developed,
the cargo transport is done by this
route majorly. Flows of commodities
from wholesale dealer to retail dealer
take place by railways.
• Roads however are in bad condition.
Thus, very less cargo flows through
roads.
Flows indicating political polarization:
• The Central and State investment in
these areas is high due to various
reasons. The cultural state of the
region brings a lot of revenue and non-
profit based investment from the
administration.
• Political leaders control the region by
submitting their caste agenda. As the
context is poor and illiterate, the region
has attracted the freeloader politicians.
Flows indicating the extent of the influence of social services and other flows:
• The number of secondary schools is very less and unevenly distributed. Also other
amenities such as the hospitals suffer the same fate.
• Public transport facilities are insufficient. Buses are in bad condition and other types
are absent. Other facilities such as the telephone and fax services aren’t developed.
Purvanchal area, as of now, is represented by 23 Members of Parliament to the lower house
of Indian Parliament, and 117 legislators in the 403 member Uttar Pradesh state assembly or
Vidhan Sabha.
Hence, the region can be delineated based on the principal of homogeneity and with large
politically influenced area.
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5. Proposals - A Need for Regional development:
• Utilizing Resources in an optimal manner so as to realize the development potential of
the region over a given time-frame with minimal negative impacts in order to achieve
economic-equity.
a. The government must take special measures to improve the condition of
Mushahars, Rajbhars, Bansfors, Nonias, Machchuaras, Dom, Swachchakars, Pasis
and Chamars. These communities are living in abysmally degrading conditions
and need special measures
• Securing the planning and equitable distribution of population and economic
resources of a country.
a. In the Eastern Uttar-Pradesh the Sand Mafias are controlling the rivers like Chhoti
Gandak, Gurra, Rapti and Ghaghara. The mechanized sand mining has resulted in
soil erosion by these rivers during monsoon. Thousands of hectares of land have
turned infertile. In Brahmapur region Rapti has destroyed Ranapar area. In
Kaptanganj and Ramkola towns in Kushinagar district are facing severe soil
erosion due to sand mining. Immediate halt of mechanized sand mining and the
government to allow the fish worker to do the same but also government should
fix up a limit for the same.
b. The Sugar factories and distilleries in Ramkola, Kaptanganj, Deoria, Rudrapur,
and Sardarnagar are throwing chemical waste in the rivers like Chhoti Gandak,
Rapti, Amy and Gurra resulting in heavy pollution in the rivers. The fish workers
are facing hunger, as the fish catch is almost nil. Apart from this, the waste has
spilled over to a vast agricultural land turning them completely barren and
dangerous. The ground water in most of the eastern UP town is contaminated
which is a severe threat to public health. Immediate action against these
factory/mill owners and the government to compensate the farmers who have lost
their land to these mills. The Pollution Control board should not allow such
hazards industries to run.
• The task of arranging the available land in a pattern which is most profitable and
productive to the region and the country at large.
a. In many villages of Eastern Uttar-Pradesh powerful local people have illegally
grabbed the land given to Dalits and Most backward communities. In many
villages, the Dalits are not even allowed passage to move out. Government must
ensure that every person lives with dignity at his/her land that everyone has a right
to access road in his/her house.
• Of certain basic resources to generate economic activity in backward regions for
stabilization of their economy by planning an adequate number of medium sized
towns and to provide them with services, employment, and social and cultural
facilities.
a. In Kushingar and Gorakhpur the condition of National Employment Guarantee
Scheme is a matter of grave concern. It has not been implemented accordingly.
We find work being done through tractors and people without work despite
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6. having the valid card. The scheme seems to have failed because of the connivance
between the village Pradhans and block officials. Severe action against erring
officials to implement the scheme and the government to form a monitoring and
evaluating committee which should include civil society representatives.
b. In Purvanchal, we find lot of discrepancy in the distribution of ration cards. Those
who should have been eligible for the cards have not got it while others have got
it. A strong action against the Sarpanches and officials who are involved in
nepotism and corruption. Also that the reach of the Public Distribution System
should be expanded and it must include important edible items, books, and cloths,
Masalas etc. so that the poor can benefit from this.
c. Hunger and starvation are prevalent in Eastern Uttar-Pradesh. A majority of
families do not ration for two times. The children have uncertain future. It is
shameful that children from Mushahars, Chauhan, Rajbhar etc. are eating rats and
fishermen are forced to survive on snails. The government should focus on these
communities with special programmes particularly developing schools in the
villages with mid-day meals and other incentives for school children and their
parents.
• Preventing irregular and unhealthy urban expansion.
a. The government must form special Land Courts to settle land disputes and
implement the land reform measures strongly and effectively. The government
must concentrate on giving communal entitlement. The women should be given
priority in allotment of agricultural land and all new entitlement whether
residential or agricultural should have joint entitlement.
Conclusions:
Purvanchal Region is in a Transitional developmental state. It also, like most other
developing regions, pertains to some basic issues and problems. The most important of these
are:
• Dual Economy: Purvanchal region is strongly differentiated with respect to the spatial
exploitation of known natural resources, human potential with its social and cultural
characteristics, level of income, urbanization ratio, and economic activity, particularly
in agriculture, or social overhead capital investment. The developing countries are
characterized by features of a dual economy i.e. simultaneous existence of some
modern and very backward sectors which display different spatial pattern.
• Mass poverty: Mass poverty, connected with heavy unemployment and
underemployment of population, is a prevailing feature of this region. The problem
must simultaneously be attacked on a regional scale.
• Infrastructural development: As a precondition to accelerated growth, Purvanchal
region must acquire a certain level of infrastructure in the forms of road, railway &
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7. storage facilities, electricity power sources and supply lines, communication
networks, water supply facilities etc. This requires early stage development which can
be achieved by comprehensive regional development schemes.
• Political interference: Political leaders are, for the greed of a stable political career
and corruption, not pushing this region towards development. It’s a grave problem
and needs to be addressed immediately.
“India got it independence in 1947 more than 60 years have passed but Purvanchal region
of UP and Bihar got nothing change since independence. It is lacking lots of basic
amenities like, a good University, good railway connectivity. This region was known for
its sugar factory but now everything is in dismay. People may debate by giving the
example of Jharkhand but in my views after separation and decentralization of resources
and management of these states i.e. Chhattisgarh, Uttarkhand and Jharkhand improved
lots. Likewise in Mumbai. The GOI has exploited the resources from all other states,
which made Mumbai flourish on cost of other cities and developed maximum
infrastructure. As of now, Bihar and UP is exploiting the resources of this region
and neglecting this region in all spheres of development.
Thus, small state means development of infrastructure and ultimately development of that
region. Chhattisgarh, or Uttarakhand or Jharkhand has poor governance but after
separation, the infrastructure of these states improved a lot. Thus, for development of
Purvanchal region, a separate Purvanchal state is necessity. By curving out some area
from UP & Bihar, it should be created with its capital either at Gorakhpur or Varanasi.”
(Source: Blog of a local Purvanchalite)
References:
• Regional Planning- concepts, techniques, policies and case studies by R.P Mishra.
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purvanchal
• Blogs: http://maibolunga.blogspot.com/2011/01/purvanchal-state-is-necessity.html
• TOI News: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-18/varanasi/28237244
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