5-Mar-2019: Government of India and World Bank Sign $250 Million Agreement for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to boost Rural Incomes across 13 States in India
The World Bank and the Government of India signed a $250 Million Agreement for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) which will help women in rural households shift to a new generation of economic initiatives by developing viable enterprise for farm and non-farm products.
A Key Focus of the Project will be to promote women-owned and women-led farm and non-farm enterprises across value chains; enable them to build businesses that help them access finance, markets and networks; and generate employment.
The National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) is an additional financing to the $500 million National Rural Livelihoods Project (NRLP) approved by the World Bank in July 2011. The NRLP which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162 districts and 575 blocks, has so far mobilized more than 8.8 million women from poor rural households into 750,000 self-help groups (SHGs). These SHGs have been further federated into 48,700 Village Organizations and 2900 Cluster/Gram Panchayat-level Federations. While these 13 states will continue to be supported under the new project signed today, 125 new districts will be added from within these states.
The National Rural Livelihoods Project has mobilized close to 9 million rural women into strong self-managed institutional platforms, helping them access services, participate in Gram Sabhas and start engaging in income generating activities. Many of these women are now geared towards moving into higher order economic initiatives in farm and non-farm sectors. The New Project will now help them engage purposefully in an evolving rural economy.
Since its launch in 2011, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) has mobilized 50 million poor rural women into self-help groups and their higher-level federations. These groups have leveraged nearly $30 billion from commercial banks.
The NERTP will support enterprise development programs for rural poor women and youth by creating a platform to access finance including start-up financing options to build their individual and/or collectively owned and managed enterprises. The other key component of the project includes developing financial products using digital financial services to help small producer collectives scale-up and engage with the market. It will also support youth skills development, in coordination with the Deen Dayal Upadyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana. Peer to peer learning across States and across communities was a successful strategy under the NRLP and will also continue to be used in this project.
The Project will continue to give technical assistance, skills building and investment support to strengthen women-owned and women-led producer collectives diversify into high value farm and non-farm commodities such as commercial crops and livestock products, and fisheries.
This project aspires to transform the economic participation of SHGs and rural women entrepreneurs by helping them engage on a strong footing with formal private financing, expand women owned and women managed enterprises and increase women’s labour force participation in viable agriculture and non-farm economic activities. The project draws on lessons learned from the rich experiences of livelihood projects from across the country which have generated 2.5 million emerging entrepreneurs.
The $250 Million Loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 5-year grace period, and a final maturity of 20 years.
19-Feb-2019: Cabinet approves Implementation of the “National Rural Economic Transformation Project under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Implementation of an Externally Aided Project namely “National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) through loan assistance (IBRD Credit) from World Bank.
Benefits: The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will enhance the livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.
Salient features: DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion. Innovative projects will be undertaken under NRETP to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions. DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationship and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations(CBOs). NRLM has also developed activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together which has been disseminated to all state Rural Livelihood Missions.
6-Nov-2018: Pilot Ganga Grams will be the role model for village cleanliness
Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ms. Uma Bharati has said that maintaining sustainable behavior towards better sanitation is everyone’s responsibility. She was speaking in Ganga Gram Swachhata Sammelan at Chyavan Rishi Ashram in Chousa Village of Buxar district in Bihar yesterday. About four thousands Swachhagrahis, Ganga volunteers, youth organization members, students, women groups and people from all walks of life attended the Sammelan.
Ganga Gram is a concept to transform the villages on the bank of river Ganga into ideal villages with emphasis on Open Defecation Free, Solid and Liquid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Ground Water Recharge, modern crematorium, tree plantation, organic and medicinal plants. After declaration of all 4465 Ganga Bank villages as ODF, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is working in the direction of sustaining the ODF status of this area. In this regard, Ms. Uma Bharati appreciated the efforts made by district team, Panchayat representatives towards making Buxar district ODF. She underlined that India has shown to the world the commitment of the Government and achieved national sanitation coverage from a lowly 39 per cent to over 95 per cent. She urged people to participate in SLWM activities, not to litter around and pollute water sources, take care of their waste management and promote organic farming.
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is organizing a series of Ganga Gram Swachhata Sammelan during this month.
23-Dec-2017: Government launches Ganga Gram project at Ganga Gram Swachhta Sammelan.
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation held a multi-stakeholder meet at New Delhi to formally launch the Ganga Gram Project under the Namami Gange Programme, for holistic sanitation development in villages on the banks of River Ganga.
In August 2017, with active cooperation with the five Ganga States (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal), the Ministry declared all 4,470 Ganga Grams Open Defecation Free (ODF). The Ministry is the nodal Ministry for the Government’s flagship programme, Swachh Bharat Mission. Since the launch of Mission in October 2014, the Ministry has constructed 5.2 crore toilets and has made 2.95 lakh villages, 260 districts, 6 States and 2 Union Territories, open defecation free.
Subsequent to making all Ganga Bank villages ODF, the Ministry and State Governments identified 24 villages to be taken up as a pilot project to transform them into Ganga Grams. They will set the bench mark of cleanliness and integrated effort of development. These will be converted into Ganga Grams by 31st December 2018.
Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of River Ganga with active participation of the villagers. The objectives of Ganga Gram Project include solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds and water resources, water conservation projects, organic farming, horticulture, and promotion of medicinal plants.
An Advisory Board has been created as a policy framing and decision-making body under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister for Drinking Water and sanitation. Another Committee has been constituted as Project Committee for project supervision, implementation and co-ordination.
Ganga Swachhata Manch, a forum of individuals, academicians, civil society organisations and the like, which has been formed upon the initiative of Hon’ble Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation was launched. This Manch has been created for awareness creation, knowledge sharing, learning and advocacy for the Ganga Gram Project.
14-Jun-2018: Swajal Launched in 115 Aspirational Districts of India
A National Consultation on the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Swajal was held in the Capital to discuss the reforms needed in NRDWP and to outline a road map for the Swajal scheme. The consultation was chaired by the Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation announced that Swajal schemes in 115 aspirational districts of the country will involve an outlay of Rs 700 crores through flexi-funds under the existing NRDWP budget. These schemes will aim to provide villages with piped water supply powered by solar energy. The scheme will train hundreds of rural technicians for operation and maintenance of Swajal units. The Minister spoke about the relevance of Swajal in remote rural areas in the aspirational districts of the country.
The Minister also announced the modernisation of 2000 water quality testing laboratories spread across the country. She urged the State Ministers to closely monitor the functioning of the water laboratories so as to ensure safe drinking water for rural Indians. She further said that Rs.1000 crores will be earmarked for addressing the drinking water needs of 27,544 arsenic and fluoride affected habitations of the country in this financial year under the National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM). She also highlighted the importance of rain water harvesting and water conservation, announcing that a special communication campaign will be taken up in the country to create awareness on the same. Further, she called upon the States to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goal ‘safe drinking water for all’ is achieved in India by 2030.
27-Feb-2018: Uma Bharti launches 2nd project of Swajal Yojana in Rajasthan
Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti, launched the Swajal pilot project at Village Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan. Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project would also generate employment.
She inaugurated the pilot Swajal Project at Bhikampura with a budget of more than 54.17 lakh rupees. Swajal is a community owned drinking water programme for sustained drinking water supply. Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken care by the Government and the remaining 10% of the project cost will be contributed by the community. The Operations and management of the project will be taken care by the local villagers.
As per the plan, four reservoirs will be constructed in the village and common tap connection will be given to almost 300 households. Bhikampura village has scarcity of drinking water and villagers have to walk to at least 3 kilometers to collect it. During the lean season, water is supplied by tankers. The new project will ease the lives of the people and ensure that potable water is available for every individual round the year.