The Telangana State Government will take up the Rural Inclusive Growth Project aimed at enhancing the agricultural incomes of the small and marginal farmers.
The project envisages increased access to services related to health, nutrition, sanitation and social entitlements to these farmers. It will target small and marginal farmers, especially those from the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities, in the 150 most backward mandals of the State covering 5,000 villages.
The State Government has signed an agreement with the World Bank for implementing the project with an estimated 75 million Dollars (close to Rs. 500 crore). The agreement was signed between World Bank Country Director Onno Ruhl, Department of Economic Affairs joint secretary Raj Kumar and State Rural Development Department Deputy Secretary K.P. Harish Kumar at New Delhi two days ago.
The project envisages increased access to extension services and quality inputs like seeds, market linkages and institutional credit. Investments would also be made in improving access to health and nutrition services besides increasing coverage under the social safety net programmes.
As part of the project, the officials concerned would closely work with panchayats in the 150 mandals, especially on last mile service delivery issues, establish technology enabled one stop shops at the panchayat level and strengthen their role as an interface between the citizens and suppliers of crucial services. In addition, a facility to improve service deliveries for people with disabilities and women would also be established.
The project would help link small and marginal farmers to urban markets and make them competitive across the value chain so that they would be able to take advantage of the potential benefits from allied sectors like horticulture and livestock.
Investments would be made in increasing the nutritional content of products like milk, vegetables and poultry. The project would seek to invigorate local markets by connecting rural producers and enterprises with the rural consumers and enhancing the quality of consumption by the poor households.
The project had been conceived in view of the limited access to extension services, good quality inputs like improved seeds, market services and institutional credit to small and marginal farmers. “The project for the newly created State of Telangana will help small and marginal farmers increase their incomes and their access to better services”.
“It will complement the Government’s efforts at strengthening panchayats so that they can play a greater role in planning, implementing and monitoring key Government programmes. Creating such strong institutions will go a long way in improving the lives of farmers and fulfilling their aspirations for a better life,” Mr. Onno Ruhl said.
