Heartland Development Board: Difference between revisions

The idea of an agency specializing in the development of rural areas in Tierrador was coined by former [[Qaphenć of Tierrador]] [[Aphío A. Woderq]], after he visited the small town of [[Tuqal]] in eastern [[Tulangia|Tulangia Region]] in 1964, and was "visibly disgusted" with the state of the small town. Upon returning to Qabór (capital of Tierrador at the time), Woderq expressed his concern with the "clear negligence" of small rural areas, especially in the central and western regions of Tierrador, to High Woqal Pedro Gomez. Gomez had already planned to create a new government agency which focused on rural development, albeit with less power and less funding than the current HDB, however, due to the outbreaks of the [[Akwachee War]] in 1965 and the [[Mosquito War]] in 1966, the establishment of such agency was pushed to a lesser degree of priority. Following the end of both wars, Gomez and Woderq would eventually work towards their goal of creating a rural development agency. Before the HDB, there were several smaller agencies which were tasked with establishing programs pertaining to rural development. However, most of these agencies were regarded as disorganized and heavily underfunded. On April 9, 1971, Gomez met with the executive council of the nation to discuss a potential merger of already-existing government agencies, rather than establishing a new agency from scratch. Gomez feared the preceding agencies in question–the Office of Rural Development, the Agricultural Regulations Board, and the Domestic Communications Agency–would not be in favor of a new agency being created, however he was able to convince the agencies to comply with merging to create a new agency.  

Initially, the HDB was formed as a child agency of the Agriculture Office, due to its heavy focus on the agriculture sector within the Tierradorian Heartland. In 1972, the HDB's first full year of operations, it was granted a budget of $1.1 billion, along with an employee base of 6,100. At its start, the HDB was primarily an agricultural assistance agency that set goals and standards for rural areas within Tierrador. Eventually, new acts and amendments passed by the Qangreč gave the HDB its current extensive regulatory authority. The HDB played a large role in the passing of the [[Telecom Act of 1972]], which reduced the powers of telecommunications company [[TK Group]], in order to prevent a monopoly within the Tierradorian telecommunications sector. This allowed companies such as [[Orixtal Communications|Yedlin Telecom]]<ref>Ironically they would end up being bought out by TK Group in 1995<ref> and [[TerraTel]] to expand its businesses to cover all of Tierrador and offer fair and inexpensive communications plans to residents of low-income areas in the Heartland. Following this Qangreč ruling in 1973, the administrative privileges of the HDB were officially transferred from the Agriculture Office to the Interior Office, prompting a steep increase in the budget and responsibilities of the HDB.

The [[Qalokee River Incident]] in 1976 saw a freight train being derailed while it was crossing a bridge over the [[Qalokee River]] in southwestern [[Bogocía Region]], which led to the spilling of dangerous chemicals in the river and causing contamination of several small towns' drinking water supply. This had led to a national outcry and demands for the HDB to step in. In October 1977, the HDB demanded a tribunal court jury investigation be held, as they believed that the derailment was caused by criminal negligence. Four months later, in January 1978, a tribunal court jury investigation within the [[Oajna Province]], led by Tierradorian attorney Qaipho Benta, accused six companies of causing major water pollution in southwestern Bogocía and northern Agualaria. It was the first tribunal court jury investigation of water pollution in the area, despite evidence of it being a severe problem throughout history. The [[Grand Qunžer]] of Tierrador, Hubert Krauža, held a press conference on January 18, 1978, referencing a new policy for pollution control in rural areas, with particular reference and incentive to work with the new Heartland Development Board, and announcing the filing of a lawsuit that morning by the HDB against the [[Qolan Chemical Board]] for criminal negligence, and arguing that the conductors of the train were actually under the influence of [[w:Marijuana|marijuana]], their impairment causing them to miss a faulty wheel on the locomotive, which in turn caused the derailment and the accidental spill of several deadly chemicals into the Qalokee River near Chasaukee. Krauža, along with the HDB, filed the misdemeanor charges in Tribunal Court, alleging severe violations of the [[Rivers and Harbors Act of 1786]].