Founded in August, 1988 as a Non-profit, Non-Govt. Organisation Project Swarajya completed a decade of its existence in the year 1998. All through the decade the Organisation has carefully preserved its basic commitment to the very goals with which it started off, namely empowerment of people at grass root level, exploration and dissemination of new knowledge, advocacy for legitimate interests of the marginalised sections of the society and more over transparency in its style of functioning. There have been failures and set-backs inadvertent though on different fronts in the matter of translating some visions into reality, but on the whole, the decade has witnessed both the quantitative and qualitative growth of the Organisation. However the Organisation is still haunted by the uneasy syndrome, too many dreams but too less resources.

1. The Organisation is registered under Society Registration Act. 1860 in the office of IGERC, Orissa, Cuttack on 9th January, 1989. (Regd. No. 19053/29 of 88-89 Dated 5th January, 1989)
   
   
2. The Organisation is registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of Orissa (Letter No. 11/21022/77/87 - FCIG-III dated 25th June, 1991)
   
   
3. The Organisation is empaneled as an Evaluating Consultancy Agency by the Dept. of Planning and Coordination, Govt. of Orissa.
   
   
4. The Organisation is registered under 35 A.C. of Indian Income Tax Act 1961 for the purpose of total exemption of taxable income paid as donation to the Organisation.
   
   
5. The Organisation is selected as a partner NGO in the Post-Harvest Fisheries Project conducted by ODA-BOBP. Chennai
   

It came into existence in the wake of Liquor Tragedy of May 1992, thanks to commendable efforts of the Organisation for relief and rehabilitation of the liquor victims and their family members. The Drug Counseling Centre that was operating earlier for 1 year was thereby upgraded into the Drug De-addiction-cum-Rehabilitation Centre by the Ministry of Welfare, Government of India. In the year 1997-98, it provided treatment to a total of 1086 patients (old and new cases) belonging to different drug groups such as Opiate, Alcohol, Cannabis, Benzodiazepines and Multiple Drugs. As for the rate of success, nearly 75% of the patients treated in the year 1996-97 and observed and followed up for I year were found to be in a totally drug free state. As in the previous years, the Organisation conducted and partook in several outreach programmes such as seminar, workshop, training and health camps held in different parts of the state with the twin objective of creating a preventive awareness among the people in general and identifying and motivating the drug addicts and alcoholics for the treatment in the De-addiction Centre. For the treatment of the patients, the Cold Turkey Method was scrupulously adhered to.

With a view to democratize the governance of the Organisation and to decentralize both the powers and responsibilities among the members of the Governing Body, serious exercises were undertaken in the year under review to reform and restructure both the General Body and the Constitution of the Organisation. Transparency of various operations both at administrative level and field level, right to access the information about the various programmes and activities of the Organisation, commitment to deadline based and result oriented performances, and moreover, thrust on collective action have been the primary considerations behind the organisational restructuring attempted during the year.

A new General Body has been constituted consisting of a total of 12 members drawn from different walks of life and disciplines of knowledge. There are technologists, social activists, academics, professionals, media men and above all an octogenarian freedom fighter in the new General Body. Out of a total of 12 members as many as 5 are women. Besides the members of the General Body, the provision for Associate Members and Honorary Resource Persons has been created to draw in experienced, talented and committed persons belonging to different walks of life into the managerial pool of the Organisation.

The Constitution of the Organisation has been amended at appropriate places to render the over all management and day-to-day functioning of the Organisation, both participatory and democratic. Unlike the earlier years, when the members of the governing body couldn't take active and sustained interest in the matters of the Organisation, the members of new General Body are expected to participate actively and lively in both administration and programmes/activities of the Organisation. To ensure optimum use of the time, energy and talent of the members of the Governing Body, their willingness for participation in different spheres of the Organisation has been sought through elaborate and exhaustive questionnaires issued to them. In accordance with the response submitted by them, the supervision of different assignments and programmes entrusted to the staffs is being allotted to the members of the Governing Body.

The project for protection of sea turtles by popularising the use of Turtle Excluder Device in Orissa coast was funded by UNDP-GEF to the tune of Rs. 4,19,395/- for a period of 1 & 1/2 years. This Project has proved a success story in fulfilling a very important objective namely; transfer of TED technology from the Govt. of USA to the local artisans along with other significant results like extensive awareness on the need for conservation of sea turtles, popularising the concept of TED, and moreover, sensitising Govt. officials, media men, scholars and NGOs on the urgency of the issues centring round sea turtles and TED. However, in absence of a legislative enactment for compulsory use of TED on one hand, and in absence of availability of TED at the requisite scale, the sea turtles continued to die in ever increasing number from year to year. The Organisation has surveyed and video graphed mass death of sea turtles caused by reckless trawling and gill netting in the vicinity of the turtle nesting beaches. Thanks to the dogged lobbying by our Organisation and other turtle lovers, the Gahirmatha beach has been declared as a Marine Sanctuary and the Coast Guards deployed to enforce the regulations concerning the movement of trawlers and fishing boats in the prohibited areas. Despite such welcome developments, large scale morality of sea turtles could not be checked. As per our survey 5,000 nos. of Olive ridleys were found dead in Gahirmatha in the winter of 1996-97, while more than 30,000 dead turtles were noticed in different stretches of Orissa coast in the winter of 1997-98.

Under the circumstances, the Organisation has planned to intensify its efforts for universalising the use of TED, mobilising the fishing communities for conservation of endangered species like sea turtles and their eco-systems, net-working at national and international levels and building up of a data bank on sea turtle and allied subjects in collaboration with the concerned Govt. and Non-Govt. agencies.

This project implemented during May 1996-December 1997 was funded by CAPART, New Delhi, under the Appropriate Rural Technology Schemes (ARTS) in the coastal districts of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, where vast areas of land have turned into waste land or remained idle and unutilised. This experimental project was tried out in 9 nos. of water logged plots of land amounting to a total of 5 -10 hectares, belonging to local small and marginal farmers. The cost of renovation of the land into both paddy field and fish tank, along with inputs like paddy and fish seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides was financed by Project Swarajya, While the land and watch & ward were contributed by the farmers themselves. Being technically guided by Project Swarajya the farmers could reap good harvest of both paddy and fish from their respective plots, which were not giving any return or very low and casual return earlier, In spite of the adverse climatic factors like heavy down pour during rainy season coupled with serious draught during summer, the farmers could reap good harvest in terms of paddy and fish from their plots of land taken up under the project. Some farmers did also cultivate fruits and vegetables on the embankment surrounding the farm.

Now that the Farmers Model of paddy cum-fish integrated farming has been field tested, it can be replicated not only in the other parts of the Orissa coast but also in the similar conditions in the rest of the country.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, the Organisation set up and managed 30 Eco-clubs in the High Schools of Cuttack city with the objectives of developing a sustained platform for creating environmental awareness among the school students and motivating them for getting involved in activities that promote environment protection in and around their respective institutions. As a part of this project, Golden Jubilee Celebration of India's Independence was observed in Town Hall on 4th October, 1997 at Cuttack with Justice P.C. Mishra as the Chief Guest & Prof. G.P. Acharya, Principal, Ravenshaw College as Chief Speaker.

Eco Competitions were organised in the form of debate, painting and quiz among the members of the Eco-clubs and prizes awarded to the winners.

The Organisation conducted 2 Special Schools for Child Labour at Cuttack, each catering to 50 nos. of child labour hailing from such occupations as rag picking, automobiles repair, cushion making, constructions, spice making, dyeing, street-vending etc. Besides the 3 Rs, the enrolled children were provided with such other additional facilities as supplementary nutrition, health check-up, vocational training and recreational facilities. In April 1997 a seminar on Child labour was held at Cuttack under the auspices of Project Swarajya and Common weal Centre to spread awareness against Child Labour among the citizens of Cuttack City. The Organisation along with the pupils of Special Schools took part in the Global March against Child Labour and in many other such campaign programmes at national and State level.

In collaboration with the Consumer Welfare Fund of Government of India, the Organisation held 5 nos. of Workshops on Consumer Protection, namely at Jagatpur, Cuttack, Paradeep (2 Workshops) and Konark, where eminent resource persons including the Chairman of the State Consumer Grievances and Redressal Forum had attended and spoken on the theme of Consumer Welfare. The Organisation is engaged in facilitating mutual negotiation between the aggrieived consumers and the manufactuer/suppliers of goods and service, failing which the former are also helped in moving the appropriate judicial and quasi-judicial fora for redressal of their respective grievances.

The Organisation conducted a programme of Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM) for a period of six months at MFTI, Balitutha under Erasama Block in Jagatsinghpur district. 5 nos. of fisherwomen received the training in 3 Fisheries related trades namely; dry fish making, fish pickle making and net binding, A Master Craftsman was employed to impart necessary training to them, on completion of which they can start their own enterprises in these trades. The 3 trades in which the training was imparted were fish pickle making, fish drying and net binding. This programme was funded by DRDA, Jagatsinghpur.

The second programme of TRYSEM was conducted at Chatua under Erasama Block for a period of 4 months in the same fishery related trades as fish pickle making, net binding and hygienic drying of fish. Such training was provided to 5 nos. of educated unemployed young men of the area with Ms. Baruni Behera, an ex-trainee of Balitutha TRYSEM Programme serving as its master trainer. While the selection of the trainees was made by the B.D.O. Erasama, the overall supervision of the programme was exercised by Mr. R.C. Biswal, Regional Co-ordinator of Project Swarajya. This programme too was funded by DRDA, Jagatsinghpur as in the previous case.

The Organisation has been maintaining a Coastal Community Development unit since 1993-94 for pursuing the goal of integrated development of the fishermen and other local inhabitants living in the coastline villages of Orissa. As is well-known, these local people are the primary users of the coastal and marine eco-systems and their flora and fauna. Being pressed by the livelihood needs they very often damage and deplete the precious genetic resources of such eco-systems including that of the endangered species. No amount of legislative prohibition has been found able in checking the so-called illegal activities that overexploit and damage the natural and ecological resources of such eco-systems. It has been further found, if we can administer various social welfare measures and thereby promote the overall well-being of the local people who are impoverished, it will be much easier on our part to bring home the massage of conservation and protection of the vulnerable eco-systems and endangered species to such people. In short, the strategy aims at a healthy synthesis of development and environment under which all the major components of the biosphere like man, plant and animal can live in a delicately balanced harmony with each other. In pursuance of such a strategy, the Organisation has implemented several social welfare measures like vocational training in fishery trades to the fisher women, non-formal education to the children to the fishermen community, introduction of Fish Drying Racks, Installation of Fish Aggregating Device and Paddy-cum-Fish Integrated Farming in water-logged saline areas etc., during the year under review. Such social welfare measures have yielded wholesome results especially from the point of view of endearing the local communities of costal Orissa towards our project aiming at conservation of coastal and marine eco-systems and endangered species like mangrove, Olive ridley sea turtle, dolphin and horse-shoe crab etc. The proposals are now under way for developing a package of social welfare for each cluster of fishing villages which are located in the vicinity of the vulnerable and critical areas of Orissa coast like habitats and nesting grounds of endangered species.

There are adequate number of Computer Systems including two advanced Multi-media Computers. Besides the day-today needs of the organisation for computerization, the computer unit also meets the needs of the NGOs, Mediamen and enlightened activists with whom the organization is associated. The multimedia computers are used for editing of' video and audio clips, photographs, graphics and texts. Moreover, the Organisation also provides free of cost training in computer and multimedia operation to the needy and desirous candidates. In the process, so far 10 nos. of candidates with the qualification ranging from +2 upto Post Graduate level were trained during the year 1996-97. Now, the proposal is under way to set up a Computer Training Centre at Silipur, Marasaghai in Kendrapara district for imparting training in DTP to the rural educated youth of the local areas. The proposal is also under way to develop the computer unit at headquarters to an advanced level with facilities for E-mail, Voice Mail, Fax and Internet.

The Organisation has two full-fledged Videography Units for filming and editing of video documentaries, stories and features. While working essentially for the documentation of various activities of the Organisation, the Videography unit does also cover the interesting projects and progammes run by other NGOs. There is a video library too, which has nearly 200 videocassettes on various subjects which are of interest to NGOs, Mediamen and enlightened citizens. Moreover, the Organisation rendering videography services to the members of the public on 'no profit and no loss' basis. And money received on this account adds to the miscellaneous income of the Organisation.

The Organisation runs a Library which has more than 5000 nos. of titles of books, more than 200 nos. of magazines and hundreds of brochures, maps, pamphlets, travel guides and biographies on different specific subjects used mostly as reference material by the staff and members of the Organisation in addition to the interested citizens. It is also equipped with the Multimedia CDs, Video & Audio Cassettes on different subjects both for education and entertainment. The proposal is now under way to open a some sort of Cyber Park providing the Multimedia and Internet Services to the interested enlightened citizens of Cuttack city.

As a part of our concern for ensuring balanced & eco-friendly development of the rural people, especially in coastal Orissa, the Organisation has been searching for appropriate technologies which are cost effective, user friendly and rooted in traditional & indigenous wisdom of the common people. Once an appropriate technology is identified, it is subjected to field testing with the involvement of the target beneficiaries & concerned technical & scientific agencies & experts. Following its successful field testing the concerned appropriate technology is transmitted to the necessary Govt. Dept. & Organisations for including it under the different anti-poverty beneficiary-oriented programmes for the purpose of granting subsidised loans. The Organisation is now having an inventory of a number of appropriate technologies, some of which after being field tested are ready for transmission, while others await field testing.

The Organisation is linked up with a number of NGOs and media across the country around the issues like drug abuse prevention, child labour, environment protection and conservation of sea turtles. It receives the news-letters published as mouth-piece of such networks and in turn provides the feed back in terms of information to the members of networks. As a result of such networking, the inventory of information on any issue is enriched not only at the national level but also at the level of each member organization.

The Outreach Programmes of different forms have remained an integral & essential part of the activities of the Organisation on various fronts. In some cases Outreach Programmes like seminars, workshops, training sessions, public meetings, surveys etc. were organised by others & partaken by the representatives of this Organisation, while in other cases such programmes were organised by us with participation by others. The basic objectives behind the Outreach Programmes were eliciting the opinions & views of others towards a particular appropriate technology, disseminating the information and knowledge that we have gathered on a particular subject, debating of crucial issues & moreover upgradation of the skill for comprehension & articulation on the part of the members & the staff of the Organisation. On certain important occasions, presentation in the Outreach Programmes by our members & staff was made with the help of OHP transparencies, slides, video cassettes, posters, photographs & brochure. As a matter of fact, thanks to the keen participation of our Organisation in the Outreach Programmes the inventory of information & knowledge on various subjects has been profoundly enriched.