Bhubaneswar, Nov 18: Orissa government has asked the Centre to adopt a long term plan for Kandhamal, prone to ethno-communal violence instead of seeking any quick solution, official sources said on Tuesday.

Orissa's suggestion came after the high-level central team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, which visited Kandhamal today, sought to know what assistance was needed in mitigating the problems there.

''The Centre wants to support Orissa in building confidence among all sections of the people in Kandhamal,'' Pawar told reporters after the team arrived here yesterday.

Identifying backwardness in education, lack of connectivity and poor livelihood means as the cause behind the ethno-communal violence in Kandhamal, Orissa government asked the Centre to set up a campus of the National Tribal University, Amarkantak at Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

''As scheduled tribes constitute 52 percent of Kandhamal's population, it is proposed to have one Ekalavya model residential school (EMRS) in each block to cater to the needs of tribal children,'' a report sbubmitted to the central team by the state government said.

This apart, the state government also asked for at least six schedule caste hostels to cater the children of SCs who comprise 17 percent of the total population in the district .

Stating that connectivity was the main obstacle for the administration proper deployment of security force, it said NH 217 which passed through Kandhamal need to be double laned.

Orissa government asked the Centre to amend norms of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and said as many as 213 habitations in Kandhamal remained unconnected due to faulty provisions.

According to PMGSY norms a habitation having at least 500 population would be provided with pucca road. As Kandhamal was a tribal district with scattered population, there were as many as 213 habitations having population between 250 to 499.

The National Commission for Minorities had also recommended similar amendment for Kandhamal, the memorandum to the Centre said.

On the livelihood front, the state government said turmeric, ginger and oil seeds like mustard and niger were grown abundantly in Kandhamal but deapite the use of improved seeds the output was declining.

''Therefore, a research centre of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) may be set up in Kandhamal to study the problem and find a solution,'' it said.

The state government also asked the Centre to set up a branch of the Spice Board of India to provide market intelligence to the farmers and market the spices under Kandhamal brand.

Farmers in Kandhamal sell their produce at cheap rates due to lack of awareness of market prices.

Bureau Report