“MASK DISTRICT OF ODISHA” tells the story of three northern most districts of Odisha such as Mayurbhanj, Sundergarh and Keonjhar, inhabited mostly by tribals in lush green forest, hills and mountain ranges where rich mineral deposits lay hidden. T...

“MASK DISTRICT OF ODISHA” tells the story of three northern most districts of Odisha such as Mayurbhanj, Sundergarh and Keonjhar, inhabited mostly by tribals in lush green forest, hills and mountain ranges where rich mineral deposits lay hidden. These districts constitute a pocket of prosperity compared to other districts of Odisha, a state which by itself is poor and backward. The study of productive structure and support system of these district that define the living conditions of the people exhibited massive poverty and unprecedented unemployment supported by a small-sized modern sector, thus unveiling the mask/cover of so-called prosperity of these districts. There is not much correspondence between the resource endowment and the emerging productive structure, dented by structural rigidities originating from the peculiar socio-economic behaviour of tribal inhabitants and the vast chunk of forest, hills and mountain ranges. These forces called for effective and efficient State intervention possibly by creating a Separate Development Board.