| Notwithstanding the rich vegetation and good rainfall and despite being catchments for major rivers system in India, the region ranks poor in all development parameters compared to the rest of the country. People have land but the productivity is far below the national average. The reason as seen is that people in these regions practicing an approach, which is more confined to farming (agriculture), rather than a broad integrated natural resources development and management. In addition to this the other reasons includes poor quality of lands, scattered approach of lack of access to extension and input markets, the resultant inferior product mix adopted by the farmers, |
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| poorer infrastructure and limited access to inputs as well as markets. A consequence of poor agriculture and a gradual but perceptible depletion of forest resources have made tribal economies vulnerable and unviable. This has caused them to become objects of a vicious cycle of natural distress, forced migration, exploitation, debt traps and at times acute destitution. | |
