The Union government which launched coffee plantations project in the district has succeeded in generating employment to 80,000 tribal men and women during the decade-long implementation of the project costing nearly Rs.300 crore.
The project was originally launched in 2002-03 with Rs.144 crore covering 60,000 acres.
In the 12 plan period another 60,000 acres have been targeted from 2007-08 onwards at a cost of Rs.148 crore.
During 2011-12 coffee seedlings have been planted in 7,572.50 acres in the Agency mandals.
A total quantity of 5,500 kgs of coffee seed was procured from the Coffee Board and was made available to the primary and secondary nurseries.
While 700 acres were covered in Paderu, the extent covered in other mandals was 1,200 acres in G. Madugula, 491 in Pedabayalu, 604 in Munchingput, 250 in Ananthagiri, 160 in Araku Valley, 418 in Dumbriguda, 830 in Hukumpeta, 1,632 in Chintapalli, and 1,085 in G.K. Veedhi.
Subsidy
The Coffee Board extended a subsidy component of 25 percent and the Tribal Cooperative Finance Corporation Limited (TRICOR) another 25 percent subsidy for meeting transplantation costs while the remaining 50 percent is borne by the beneficiaries. The total subsidy amount accounted for Rs.76 crore.
The major project launched by the Union government served two purposes – generating employment to 80,000-odd hill tribes men and women and payment of wages worth nearly Rs.300 crore.
Besides, the project resulted in waste land development of nearly 1.25 lakh acres and creation of coffee estate assets worth hundreds of crores of rupees.
The Integrated Tribal Development Agency was instrumental in the implementation of the multi-purpose project successfully resulting in economic emancipation of hundreds of tribal women and men.
In June, 2009 another major coffee project was launched under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, over an extent of 1.04 lakh acres and worth Rs. 349 crore to be run till 2015-16.
The subsidy component under the MGNREGS was Rs.287 crore and the Coffee Board would provide another Rs. 62 crore.
Pydithalli of Dumbriguda said the project had generated wage employment under the MGNREGS and also created permanent assets for livelihood under the massive programme.
Avenues
The project had actually created avenues for permanent source of income.
Coffee Board assistant director Ram Mohan Rao told The Hindu that the project taken up under the MGNREGS had been a real boon to the tribal community. In the 2012-13 year coffee plantation will be taken up in another 7,732 acres.
