Analyse the Integrated Tribal Development Project in ‘Bharmaur’ region.

Bharmaur is a notified tribal area, comprising of Bharmaur and Holi tehsils of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is inhabited by the ‘Gaddi’ tribal community. The region is characterized by harsh climatic conditions and a low resource base which has adversely affected the social and economic development of the region. In the Fifth Five Year Plan, Bharmaur was designated as one of the five Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDP) in Himachal Pradesh. This initiated the development of the area which was aimed at improving the quality of life of the Gaddis.

• The development plan considered the development of transport and communications, agriculture and allied activities, and social and community services as its highest priority.

• There has been notable development in infrastructure in the region including schools, healthcare facilities, potable water, roads, communications and electricity because of the development plan.

• The main beneficiaries of these developments have been the villages located along the river Ravi in Holi and Khani areas.

• Several remote villages like Tundah and Kugti still need further development.

• The area has also benefitted in terms of social development and has shown increase in literacy rate, improvement in sex ratio and decline in child marriage.

• Economically, the Gaddis were subsistence agriculture-cum-pastoral based community which has changed to include cultivation of pulses and other cash crops because of this development programme.

Overall the plan has been successful for the region. But it still needs further proper implementation as a sizeable population of the Gaddis still migrate to Kangra and other areas during winter to earn money.