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New Delhi, Sep 6 : The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Paban Singh Ghatowar has said that Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved implementation of North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP) on 16th November 2011 at an estimated cost of Rs 683.2 crore, comprising assistance as a soft loan from the World Bank of Rs 614.8 crore and Central Government funding of Rs 68.4 crore, in two selected districts each of four States of Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Ghatowar said, North East Rural Livelihood Project has become effective in March, 2012. Recruitment process for Regional Project Monitoring Unit and eight District Project Management Units is in final stages.
He said, objective of NERLP is to improve rural livelihoods especially that of women, unemployed youth and of most disadvantaged; by providing access to economic opportunities, improving adoption of sustainable agricultural and natural resource management through establishing participatory and accountable community based institutions. Targeted outcome indicators of project development objectives are:-
(i) At least 60% of women Self Help Group members achieve minimum increase of 30% in income, in real terms by end of project.
(ii) At least 30% of project-benefited unemployed youths are employed.
(iii) At least 50% of disadvantaged households achieve minimum of 30% improvement in livelihood indices from entry into the project.
The Minister said, the project aims at providing resources to engage various private and public sector organizations who in turn will assist Producer Organizations and Self Help Groups to access better market information and latest technology, obtain higher returns for their produce and help communities align their produce better with market demands. Following strategies are proposed for marketing and for establishing marketing linkages around them:
Ø support for production cluster development, collective marketing, market infrastructure development, market
intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination;
Ø value chain analysis and linkage support;
Ø public-private partnership;
Ø linkage with nodal agencies to facilitate marketing;
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Paban Singh Ghatowar has said that North East Rural Livelihoods Project (NERLP) will involve local community in Forest & Natural Resources Management. NERLP envisages empowering and enabling traditional institutions and building
modern management capacities within them. The communities will be able to develop new resource management plans that address forest conservation and livelihood issues and also protect biodiversity in a manner that respect indigenous rights to natural resources and livelihood needs.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Shri Ghatowar said, procedure for identifying and sanctioning community based natural resource management programme in States covered under NERLP namely, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, will include supporting community efforts for intensifying land productivity, especially in sites where terracing and irrigation are possible. Agro forestry system with a mix of commercial products including timber, fibre, spice, and medicinal plant will help to generate income, taking pressure of steeper slopes and allowing for longer fallow periods in areas of jhum (shifting cultivation). Development of water sources, both surface and ground water resources, like springs, ponds, natural flows, managing watersheds will be taken up.
Conduct of Impact Assessment Studies through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) shall be carried out during the consolidation phase of Project, the Minister added.
Paban Singh Ghatowar has said that Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has already sought exemption from earmarking 2% of funds for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), since no meaningful programme can be implemented with this meagre amount, which comes to Rs. 4.10 crore only and to Rs. 2.50 crore in case Externally Aided Projects outlay is excluded. Moreover, most of the schemes of this Ministry are in the nature of infrastructure project, benefits of which cover all segments of the society viz. SC/ST, women etc. Accordingly, no allocation is earmarked under SCSP and Tribal Sub-Plan.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Shri Ghatowar said, notwithstanding this, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is insisting that due representation to SC/ST youth is given in training programmes conducted under its scheme ‘Capacity Building & Technical Assistance’, under which training to unemployed youth of North Eastern Region is supported. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is not required to earmark funds under Tribal Sub-Plan.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rural-livelihood-project-in-ne/
