Poor But Spirited in Karimnagar — Field Notes of a Civil Servant: Sumita Dawra; HarperCollins Publishers, A-53, Sector 57, Noida-201301. Rs. 350.
After six decades of policymaking and planning that appear perfect on paper, vast pockets of poverty persist across the country accompanied by low human development indices.
In this book, Sumita Dawra recounts her experiences as collector in the district of Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh, and grapples with the question why even with crores of rupees of government funding, well-meaning implementing agencies and constructive action, this wide gap between intention and results continues.
The stories cover diverse populations from child labour to cotton farmers, from coal miners to power loom weavers. They traverse the thick Naxal-infested forests, course along the Godavari, and meander through the multiple urban worlds of Ramagundem and the dry upland areas of Sircilla, examining the key issues that need to be addressed. Based on successful models of governance within the country and elsewhere, this book from a seasoned bureaucrat offers a fresh, contemporary perspective on administration and governance.
