Telangana Minister for Panchayati Raj K. T. Rama Rao on Wednesday said the newly-formed State would soon become a role model for other States in motivating self-help groups, initiatives aimed at women’s empowerment, early childhood education, health and nutrition for pregnant women and newly-born to improve quality of life.
He was addressing an international workshop for representatives from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), a body comprising 20 member countries as part of their visit to Telangana to study women empowerment and poverty alleviation initiatives here. The programme was a joint initiative of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, Government of Telangana.
Mr. Rao explained to the delegates from abroad how the State was carved out only on June 2 and how it was focussed on poverty alleviation covering areas like human development through compulsory education, drinking water for all households, risk mitigation through social security measures and taking care of the differently-abled and the ultra poor.
He outlined how the World Bank-funded Telangana Rural Inclusive Growth Project had an outlay of US $ 107 million to improve the value chain through producers’ organisations in agriculture and allied sectors including dairy, poultry and non-farm sector and to create additional livelihoods to rural poor and increasing their income. It laid emphasis on human development areas including education, health and nutrition and a gender focus, he pointed out.
IORA Director Dalhan Firdaus, in his introduction to the association and its activities explained that it had 20 member countries with China, Egypt, France, Japan, United Kingdom and United States of America as dialogue partners. On the delegation’s three-day visit to Telangana, he said thrift apart, empowerment of women and making them direct beneficiaries of material assets and financial allocation was a sure way to achieve sustainable development.
The Member countries include Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Seychelles, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.