The Hindu : Karnataka News : Helping the deprived lead a dignified life

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Karnataka

Karnataka

Helping the deprived lead a dignified life

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Helping hand: B.K. Chandrashekar, Chairman of the Legislative Council, inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of the Organisation for Development of People in Mysore on Thursday.

MYSORE: Established to help the deprived sections of society to lead a dignified life, the Organisation for the Development of People (ODP) celebrated its silver jubilee here on Thursday.

The ODP will celebrate the silver jubilee year with special focus on ameliorating the condition of the economically weaker sections of society.

Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council B.K. Chandrashekar inaugurated the function, which was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Margaret Alva, monks from Ramakrishna Ashram and Bishop of Mysore Thomas Vazhapilly, among others.

A non-governmental organisation, the ODP hopes to strengthen under-privileged people through a participatory approach by organising self-help groups who emerge self-reliant with a little assistance and ensures better livelihood and security for the target group. The ODP has initiated many projects in the districts of Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu.

The special focus is on capacity building of the people for better economic sustenance and self-governance, among others while it has also focussed on alternative renewal energy, sustainable agriculture, elimination of child labour through education sponsorship, natural resource management among others.

Though the thrust is on empowerment of the poor, the ODP has taken a holistic approach to development and the stress is on harmony with environment. In this connection, the ODP has established rural livelihood resource centre which has taken up watershed development programmes to develop and monitor watershed components such like check dams, mud and stone bunds, percolation ponds, tree plantation, recharging groundwater table, rainwater harvesting, conservation of soil, water and vegetation in order to improve the economic condition of farmers.

Its focus on sustainable agriculture aims at improving productivity to enhance food security while at the same time making efforts to reduce environmental degradation by way of encouraging multiple cropping, organic agriculture, vermin composting, fodder cultivation etc.

Its women empowerment programmes have made significant difference to the members and there are over 30,000 members in more than 1,700 self-help groups in the four districts.

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