COVER STORY: NIRDPR Organises National-level Orientation Training Programmes on People’s Plan Campaign 2021 (Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas) for Preparation of Panchayat Development Plans
CONTENTS:
Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Hon’ble Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, GoI Visits NIRDPR
CNRM CC& DM Organises e-Training Programme on Biodiversity Governance in India
Online ToT Programme on Convergence of SHGs and FPOs to Facilitate Financial Inclusion
Online ToT Programme on Skill Development and Employment Generation in Rural Informal Enterprise Sector
Online ToT Programme on Participatory Management of Natural Resources in Rural Areas
NIRDPR Organises Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav and Hindi Fortnight Celebrations 2021
Workshop cum ToT on Good Governance through Community Participation in Rural Development – Tools and Techniques
Capacity Building Programme for the Charge officers of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)– II (iv) (2019-2024)
Capacity Building Programmes: Process for Managerial Improvement
ICICI RSETI Jodhpur Organises Bankers’ Sensitisation Meet
SIRD & ETC CORNER
MoPR Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary Visit Odisha
Extension Training Centre, Tura, Meghalaya Trains SHG Members on Oyster Mushroom Cultivation
COVER STORY
NIRDPR organises National level Orientation Training Programmes on ‘People’s Plan Campaign 2021 (Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas)’ for Preparation of Panchayat Development Plans
To strengthen democracy at the grassroots level as well as to promote community-led need-based development, the nationwide People’s Plan Campaign (Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas) for preparation of Panchayat Development Plans was jointly rolled out by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) from 2nd October to 31st December 2018, for the first time. With its immense success and impact over the years at the local level, the People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) 2021 was rolled out from 2nd Oct 2021 to 31st January 2022 across the country. During this period, Panchayats at all levels will prepare convergent and comprehensive plans.
As part of this campaign, NIRDPR organised two orientation workshops for the stakeholders of all States and UTs, in the month of September 2021.
National-level Orientation Workshop on PPC 2021, Hyderabad, 13th September 2021:
The first orientation workshop held at NIRDPR campus, Hyderabad on 13th September 2021 was jointly inaugurated by Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, IAS, Secretary, MoRD and Shri Sunil Kumar, IAS, Secretary, MoPR. A total of 128 stakeholders from 20 States and five UTs (other than the North-Eastern States) participated in this one-day workshop.
Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR welcomed the gathering and informed that this year’s PPC would focus on the quality of planning, localising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and integrating the Village Poverty Reduction Plan (VPRP) with Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). He mentioned that NIRDPR is trying to strengthen the decentralised planning through various partnerships with renowned institutions like PMI (Project Management Institute of India) for the projectisation of activities.
Dr. C. S. Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary, MoPR observed that this year’s planning would be evidence-based, by harnessing the knowledge gained from data and information, and using it to optimise the planning process. “Panchayats, with a direct mandate from citizens, have the responsibility to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The localised SDG targets and indicators guide the Panchayats in the formulation of GPDP and monitor its implementation,” he said. Dr. C. S. Kumar noted that the preparation of Block Panchayat Development Plan (BPDP) and District Panchayat Development Plan (DPDP) was mandated last year and preparation of the same has to be done in the same rigour as GPDP.
Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, MoPR presented the overview of PPC 2021. “The PPC was started in mission mode after realising the fact that mere guidelines of 14th FC were not sufficient. After the adoption of PPC, the number of uploaded GPDPs has jumped significantly from 59,000 to 2,50,000 in 2018,” she said and mentioned that many of the NE States prepared GPDPs for the first time, including some of the traditional local bodies.
“During this campaign, the self-help groups (SHGs) and their village organisations (VOs) will also prepare VPRP through the support of trained community resource persons in all intensive Gram Panchayats across all the blocks and districts. The VPRP will be integrated with GPDP. This will enable better convergence between the PR and RD departments at the central and State levels to achieve effective planning and implementation of the GPDP,” Smt. Rekha Yadav added.
Shri Sunil Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Panchayati Raj, highlighted that the campaign is being undertaken on a large scale, given the number of Gram Panchayats in the country. “Special efforts will be made to ensure maximum participation of vulnerable sections of society like SC, ST, women, etc., in the planning process. The structured Gram Sabha meetings will be held from 2nd October onward with physical presence and presentation by frontline workers/supervisors on 29 sectors. Emphasis will be there on subjects such as drinking water sanitation, education, health, nutrition and skill training, etc.,” he said.
Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development stated that the campaign is an intensive and structured exercise for planning through convergence between Panchayats and concerned departments of the State. Visioning at the Gram Panchayat level is very important and planning activities should focus on livelihood, basic and social services. Proper planning will make a real difference in better service delivery at the grassroots level.
Representatives from various central ministries also participated in this workshop and presented their views, including, Shri Arun Baroka, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jalsakthi,
Smt. Nita Kejrewal, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Shri Maneesh Garg, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Shri Atul Kotwal, Executive Director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri D. Chandra Sekhar, Director, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Dr. C. P. Reddy, Sr. Addl. Commissioner, Department of Land Resources.
During the PPC experience sharing session chaired by Secretary MoPR, representatives from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh highlighted their achievements and issues faced by them during PPC implementation in previous years.
Dr. Anjan Kumar Bhanja, Associate Professor, CPRDP&SSD, NIRDPR made a presentation on the topic- ‘Evidence-based and data-driven Panchayat Planning.’ He said that there is a gigantic and growing information gap between the Panchayats and common people. The best available data, information and knowledge are used to make realistic decisions and good and truthful information about the life and livelihood of villagers is the basis of a quality plan. He also highlighted the various sources of Secondary Data that can be used for Planning and their relevance in preparing GPDP/BPDP/DPDP.
Smt. Jayashree Raghunandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu, made a presentation on ‘Localisation of SDGs.’This session was conducted online with informational videos highlighting the need for localising SDGs. Underscoring the need for eradicating poverty, fighting inequality and tackling climate change, she said the same can be achieved by the preparation of resilient GPDPs. She mentioned the importance of ensuring the last-mile service delivery and fulfilling the promise of ‘Leaving No One Behind’ and ‘Leaving No Village Behind.’ “While preparing GPDP, the GPs needs to take initiative to work with other departments, especially on climate change. Apart from PRIs, other departments also need to understand the importance of localising SDG and all in a mutual way should achieve the objectives of SDGs,” Smt. Jayashree added.
In concluding remarks, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development highlighted that the programmes launched by various line Ministries were addressing multiple SDGs. “The members of GP should be encouraged to take own decisions pertaining to any matter. Ensuring the dignity of life of every individual is the real challenge before us and PRI bodies should strive for achieving it. The GPs should take into account the issues of gender, class bias, marginalised sections and address their requirements and their issues to the best of their ability. The local governments should help in providing the best means for achieving the same,” he said.
The workshop was concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Anjan Kumar Bhanja.
National-level Orientation Workshop on PPC 2021 for the North-Eastern States held at Guwahati on 23rd September 2021
The PPC orientation workshop for the North-Eastern States was organised at Guwahati by NIRDPR-NERC team at the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship campus.
Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Hon’ble Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Government of India, Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary Ministry of Panchayati Raj, dignitaries from line Ministries, faculties from NIRDPR, Hyderabad & NIRDPR-NERC, Guwahati and representatives from seven North-Eastern States participated in the workshop.
In his keynote address, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Hon’ble Minister of State for Panchayati Raj emphasised the need for reaching of development schemes of Central Government up to grassroots level. He mentioned that women self-help groups are working efficiently in the Northeast zone. He urged the participants to include more women in Gram Sabhas so that they can highlight their problems and avail the benefits of government schemes.
Delivering the welcome address to the participants through virtual mode, Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR, stressed on empowerment of Gram Sabha/village assembly. In the context of NE States, he advised the State delegates for active participation of traditional local bodies for the plan formulation and plan implementation. He clarified that Panchayat is a State subject that requires a lot of care from the State Government concerned for growth and empowerment. The role of NIRDPR in creating a pool of Master Trainers on various thematic areas is very important for building the capacities of PRIs.
Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, MoPR presented the broad outcomes of PPC in the last three years and the roadmap for the forthcoming PPC-21. In her address, she stressed on the special issues for NE States due to the presence of Autonomous District Councils and directed intensive study on the present situation and roadmap for the empowerment at par the PRIs of other States. While emphasising local planning, she highlighted that NE Gram Panchayats are small in population, however, there is a need for wider coverages of areas. “Another biggest issue is community participation during the People’s Plan Campaign. The community ownership of the plan preparation generally leads to the appropriate poverty reduction plan. The journey of the People’s Plan Campaigns started from 2018 and the result is tangible with coverage of plan preparation is 95 per cent across the PRIs and TLBs,” she said.
On the issue of vibrant Gram Sabha, Smt. Rekha Yadav advised all the participating States to conduct mandatorily two Gram Sabha during the PPC-21 period. While appreciating the achievements of some of the NE States like Tripura, she directed to use best efforts to achieve the cent percentage achievement. Advising the States to make a checklist of the activities with timelines and action points for the coming four months, she said the MoPR and NIRDPR are ready to extend handholding support to the needy States. Appreciating the effort of Manipur, Smt. Rekha Yadav directed the other States to learn the initiatives taken by Manipur.
Prof. R. Murugesan, Director, NIRDPR-NERC, Guwahati appealed to the State delegates for onboarding of frontline departments for preparation of quality GPDP. “Convergence of different programmes and schemes is highly required for the appropriate outcome of tangible assets with a mission for a win-win situation for all departments,” he pointed out.
Representatives from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim presented their State experiences on PPC-2020. Due to strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols in the respective States, the intervention and interface of the PPC exercises were limited during 2020. However, this time keeping in mind the situation and abiding by the COVID-19 protocols, the PPC exercises shall be carried out. This time the MA data collection shall be restricted with the data analysis of the previous year data. Dr. A. K. Bhanja, Associate Professor, NIRDPR stressed on the evidence building and data-driven GPDP, which can be fulfilled through the active participation of the frontline departments and advised to State government to work on it.
Dr. Narayan Sahoo, Associate Professor, NIRDPR-NERC stressed on appropriate direction of the State machinery for PPC-21. “The selection of the RPs and GP facilitators are the core areas of intervention that can be looked into carefully by respective District Panchayat Development Officers/CEO-Panchayat. The skill mapping of the GPs/TLBs are highly required for the preparation of a poverty reduction plan. As the NE States have a different set up of local governance like Autonomous District Councils and Village Councils and PRIs, the appropriate measures shall be drawn to suit the local conditions,” he said.
Dr. C. Kathiresan, Associate Professor and Head, CPRDP& SSD, NIRDPR stressed on the need for uploading the GPDP on the e-GramSwaraj portal and ensuring more community participation in the planning exercise, use of audio-visual tools in disseminating information regarding the campaign, importance of plan preparation.
Regional workshops planned for PPC 2021:
NIRDPR has planned to organise five regional thematic workshops covering all States and UTs, in order to provide handholding support for the stakeholders involved in the campaign and also to ensure holistic plan preparation at all tiers of Panchayats in the country. These regional workshops include:
- Regional Workshop for Indo-Gangetic Plain States (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal), on 28th & 29th Oct at Bhopal.
- Regional Workshop for Himalayan States (Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand) on 9th & 10th Nov at Leh-Ladakh.
- Regional Workshop for Coastal States (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Puducherry) on 11th & 12th Nov, at Mangalore.
- Regional Workshop for PESA states (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana), on 16th & 17th Nov at Jaipur.
- Regional Workshop for NE states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) on 25th & 26th Nov 2021 at Agartala (Tripura).
Faculty of CPRDPSSD and NERC, NIRDPR with the support of MoPR, SIRDPRs and State PR Departments will be organising these workshops in the months of October and November 2021.
Dr. Anjan Kumar Bhanja, Associate Professor, NIRDPR
Dr. Narayan Sahoo, Associate Professor, NIRDPR-NERC
Dr. Jayanta Choudhury, Associate Professor, NIRDPR-NERC
Dr. C. Kathiresan, Associate Professor and Head, CPRDP& SSD, NIRDPR
Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Hon’ble Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, GoI Visits NIRDPR
Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Hon’ble Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Government of India (GoI), visited the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), on 2nd September, 2021.
The Minister interacted with the officials with regard to various activities being implemented by the Institute. Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR, Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, GoI, Shri Sashi Bhushan, Director (Financial Management) & Financial Advisor & Deputy Director General (i/c), Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar and Director (Admin), other senior faculty members and staff of the Institute were present at the meeting.
Welcoming the Hon’ble Minister, the Director General gave a detailed presentation on the vision, focus areas and objectives of NIRDPR. During his presentation, he highlighted 62 years of service rendered by the Institute to the nation in the rural development sector. He said that NIRDPR has come out with an enhanced vision to improve the quality of life in rural India, which made it an Institute of national eminence and global excellence for rural development and panchayati raj. Briefing the activities of various centres coming under the seven schools, Dr. Narendra Kumar mentioned the achievements of NIRDPR such as evolving district planning methodologies, drafting of Model Bill for Panchayati Raj and Right to Information, designing and promotion of social audit for monitoring MGNREGA, recent Panchayat Citizen Charter, Panchayat Service Contracts, Social Audit Guidelines for 15th Financial Commission Grants, etc. He also brought to the notice of the Minister that NIRDPR is submitting proposals to MoPR for upgrading the Centre of Panchayati Raj as a school of excellence.
Supplementing the presentation of Director General, Dr. Radhika Rani, Associate Professor & Head, CAS explained how the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) Resource Centre of NIRDPR is supporting the formation and capacity building of 75 lakh SHGs and 3.24 lakh VOs in the country.
Dr. Jyothis Sathyapalan, Prof & Head, CWEL presented the performance of MGNREGA in the country during the last three years. Dr. C. Kathiresan, Associate Professor & Head, CPR, DP & SSD presented the activities of his centre. He highlighted activities such as the certification of Master Resource Persons in all States/UTs for PR training, organising ToTs for Master Resource Persons, SIRDPR faculty and other PR functionaries, developing 250 model GP clusters (1105 Gram Panchayats) across all States for the formulation of quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
On the occasion, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil released the Model Training Manual developed by NIRDPR for Contract Management of WASH services by Gram Panchayats. Shri Mohammed Taqiuddin, Consultant briefed the contents of the manual and method of organising training to PRIs on the professionalisation of WASH services in Gram Panchayats.
In his address, the Minister said the Government of India is investing nearly Rs. 4 lakh crore on rural development programmes. He raised some of the very pertinent issues with regard to the implementation of these programmes. He mentioned that in PMGSY, contractors are quoting about 30 per cent less and after signing the agreement, the works are not being grounded for months together. Citing the lack of a quality monitoring system for PMGSY road works, he requested the Director General to design a monitoring system for all PMGSY works. He suggested that NIRDPR can engage auditors and deploy them for third party inspection of these works.
The Minister further pointed that there is no provision for enhancement of the cost of PMAY housing on account of price escalation, due to which the works of many houses sanctioned to the beneficiaries are pending. He mentioned the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and suggested exploring the possibility of connecting the scheme with the SHGs for better coverage.
The Minister stressed on conducting training for the elected representatives on various schemes of Central and State governments so that they can prepare development plans by converging the schemes. He suggested NIRDPR to work out a system where the capacity building and training programmes of Panchayati Raj Institutions can be outsourced to other professional agencies. He requested Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, MoPR to identify potential sources for local revenue mobilisation by the Panchayats across different geographical areas. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by the Director General.
CNRM CC& DM Organises e-Training Programme on Biodiversity Governance in India
A five-day e-training programme on ‘Biodiversity Governance in India’ was organised by the Centre for Natural Resource Management, Climate Change and Disaster Management (CNRM CC& DM), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj from 30th August – 3rd September, 2021.
The programme offered via Webex platform was attended by a total of 94 officials belonging to the Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Forestry, Horticulture, Sericulture and Soil Conservation departments, State Biodiversity Boards, State Rural Livelihoods Missions, faculties of SIRDs, universities, research institutes, Master Trainers, elected representatives of PRIs and functionaries of NGOs from all parts of India.
The objectives of the programme were i) to orient the participants on the genesis of the Biological Diversity Act and its institutional mechanism for implementation in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj Institutions, ii) to familiarise the trainees on planning and management of bio-resources with the involvement of local community, and iii) to equip the participants on the convergence between Panchayati Raj Institutions and different sectoral departments for sustainable use of biodiversity.
Prof. Ravindra Gavali, Head, CNRM, CC & DM and Dr. Subrat Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, CNRM, CC & DM were the Course Directors.
On 30th August, the programme began with a welcome address by Prof. Ravindra S Gavali, who spelt out the objectives of the training. Prof. Gavali, in his address, further said that biodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of all life forms on earth and is the outcome of years of our evolutionary history. “Biodiversity brings enormous benefits to humankind from direct harvesting of plants and animals for food, medicine, fuel, construction materials and so on. It also provides for aesthetic, cultural, recreational and research values. Since biodiversity facilitates ecological balance and ecosystem services, it has become necessary to build the capacity of multiple stakeholders on biodiversity governance for its conservation and management for which the five-day training programme has been designed,” he added.
The first technical session of the programme on ‘Biodiversity – An overview’ was handled by Prof. R. K. Maikhuri, an eminent ecological economist from the Department of Environmental Sciences, HNB Central University, Srinagar. He presented the overview of biodiversity in the context of India and the current global scenario. He touched upon the aspects like types of biodiversity, and challenges to biodiversity across the globe with special reference to India and its commitment to multilateral agreements.
Dr. Shilpi Sharma, Regional Coordinator, State Biodiversity Board, Hyderabad addressed the participants in the second technical session on ‘Biodiversity Act and its institutional mechanism for implementation’. Dr. Sharma touched upon the genesis and legal framework of the Biodiversity Act, 2002 and its operational modality. She elaborated on different sections of the Act and the role of public institutions to implement it in true spirit.
The third technical session on ‘Principles and Basic Approaches on Biodiversity Conservation’ was handled by Dr. K. Krishna Reddy, Associate Professor, CNRM, CC & DM, NIRDPR. Dr. Krishna Reddy presented basic principles and approaches of biodiversity conservation, explaining ecosystem, species and genetic biodiversity in detail. Touching upon the biodiversity zones of India, and the benefits and threats to biodiversity, he deliberated on major causes of biodiversity loss and approaches to be followed for its conservation and sustainability.
Prof. Ravindra S Gavali handled the fourth technical session on ‘Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation in Environmental Management.’ He explained farming, crop and soil management, protection of animals and other species and presented in detail various dimensions of agro-biodiversity like genetic resources for food and agriculture, components of biodiversity that support ecosystem services, socio-economic and cultural factors. The measures needed to prevent damages to biodiversity were also discussed in depth.
Dr. Subrat Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, CNRM, CC & DM, NIRDPR, Hyderabad addressed the participants in the fifth technical session on ‘Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism,’ in which he explained access to bio-resources for the purposes of academic, research and commercial utilisation. A discussion was held on e-filing on ABS application, the process of application and regulations for access and benefit-sharing mechanism as per Biodiversity Act, 2002.
The sixth technical session ‘Integrating Biodiversity Conservation with Gram Panchayat Development Plan’ was dealt with by Dr. C. Kathiresan, Associate Professor & Head, Centre for Panchayati Raj, NIRDPR. He made a comprehensive presentation on the processes to be followed while preparing of Gram Panchayat Development Plan. In his presentation, Dr. Kathiresan emphasised the need for integrating biodiversity conservation issues being implemented under different flagship programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and other sectoral departments for preparing a comprehensive plan at the Gram Panchayat level.
In the seventh technical session on ‘Preparing People’s Biodiversity Register,’ Prof. Ravindra S. Gavali spoke about preparing People’s Biodiversity Register in conformity with Rule 22(6) of the BD Rules, 2004 and in consultation with local people. Prof. Gavali explained the process of preparing a PBR having comprehensive information on the availability and knowledge of local biological resources, and other uses associated with them. The need for forming a biodiversity management committee as a prerequisite was also highlighted in the presentation along with the guidelines for operationalisation of the committee.
The eighth technical session on ‘Geospatial Technology in Biodiversity Mapping’ was handled by Dr. Kiran Jalem in which he touched upon the aspects like application of GIS in biodiversity conservation and management. He stressed on the need for mapping and analysing biodiversity data through the application of Geospatial Technology.
The ninth technical session was on ‘Convergence among Different Flagship Programmes for Sustainable Use of Biodiversity.’ He presented on the scope of different flagship programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development for sustainable use of biodiversity.
After the technical sessions, a panel discussion was organised by the course team on future strategies and roadmap ahead for biodiversity conservation, management and governance.
The feedback of participants and evaluation of the course were taken via the Training Management Portal.
| Subject | Course Content | Practical Orientation | Knowledge | Skill | Attitudinal Change | Speaker Effectiveness |
| Percentile | 93 | 88 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 92 |
The training programme was interactive, participatory and useful as ascertained from the feedback of participants.
Online ToT Programme on Convergence of SHGs and FPOs to Facilitate Financial Inclusion
The SHG scheme is not just a mechanism of financial intermediation but also a unique process of socio-economic engineering. The members of each SHG are given the opportunity to participate as equals in deciding the future course of action to achieve their desired objectives. Along with increasing financial access, the SHG movement also supports women empowerment and furthers other developmental goals related to education, health, family planning, and access to land and water. NABARD is providing microcredit and encouraging the habit of making small savings among the financially deprived. The SHG movement has made great strides in the fields of women empowerment and socio-economic development.
FPOs are farmers’ collectives, with membership mainly comprising small/marginal farmers (around 70 to 80%). Presently, around 5000 FPOs (including FPCs) are in existence in the country, which were formed under various initiatives of the Govt. of India (including SFAC), State governments, NABARD and other organisations over the last 8-10 years. Of these, around 3200 FPOs are registered as Producer Companies and the remaining as Cooperatives/ Societies, etc. Majority of these FPOs are in the nascent stage of their operations with shareholder membership ranging from 100 to over 1000 farmers and require not only technical handholding support but also adequate capital and infrastructure facilities including market linkages for sustaining their business operations.
While NABARD has been promoting farmers’ collectives in the past such as Farmers’ Clubs, Joint Liability Groups, Self-Help Groups, Watershed Groups, etc., to nurture the collective strengths and empower farmers, it took a special initiative to promote and nurture new FPOs out of Producers’ Organization Development and Upliftment Corpus (PRODUCE). Under this Fund, NABARD has promoted 2154 FPOs, around 70 per cent FPOs are registered as Producer Companies and the remaining as Cooperatives/Societies. In view of the above background, CEDFI conducted an online training programme on ‘Convergence of SHGs and FPOs to Facilitate Financial Inclusion’ during September 06-08, 2021.
Contents of the Programme
- Gender mainstreaming for Financial Inclusion;
- GPDP – Connecting the missing links in rural development;
- Food processing sector – opportunities and challenges with reference to SHGs and FPOs;
- Swachh Bharat Mission to Financial inclusion – How banks/FIs can be leveraged in WASH domain;
- Convergence of self-help groups and FPOs for financial inclusion;
- Farm to fork business models in agriculture and role of SHG women in farm-based livelihoods;
- FPOs and agricultural value chains for rural development;
- SHG-Bank Linkage Programme – An evaluation.
Participants
Total 306 nominations were received across the country and 120 were shortlisted by the Centre. The participants are faculty of Universities, RSETIs, SIRDs, SGHs and FPOs professionals, Agriculture Extension Officers, etc.
Resource Persons/Faculty
CEDFI’s in-house faculty members and a pool of experts from NIRDPR, who are subject experts contributed to the programme.
Training Methodology
A wide range of training methodologies, as mentioned below, was used during the programme in consonance with the objectives, duration and expectations of the participants.
- Lectures and interactive sessions (through PPTs).
- Case study, PPTs and discussions, grassroots level experiences from participants.
Besides, the participants submitted evaluation quiz tests related to the topics covered in the sessions by the experts.
Feedback and evaluation
Participants’ overall feedback on the training programme is 4.50 out of 5-point scale i.e., 89%.
What went right
The participants attributed the success of the programme to very good course material with seamless Webex facilities in addition to effective programme design with a good mix of classroom sessions and meticulous programme execution. As the participants raised several questions in this regard, the same were replied via email.
Programme Team
The programme was coordinated by Dr. M. Srikanth (Programme Director) and Mr. Chandan Kumar (Programme Coordinator).
Online ToT Programme on Skill Development and Employment Generation in Rural Informal Enterprise Sector
Creation of jobs in massive numbers and ensuring higher productivity have been the subjects of huge concern, especially in rural areas. A large portion of the Indian economy operates in the informal sector with a subsistence level of earnings and poor working conditions. Even though the rural informal sector has been providing employment opportunities, the sector is suffering from low level of technology, limited access to inputs and credits, and an unfavourable market environment. The challenges have further been accentuated due to the pandemic and subsequent prolonged lockdown.
The informal sector is huge and heterogeneous. To ensure employment generation at a rising level of productivity, skill development of entrepreneurs and workers engaged therein will be crucial. In this context, the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Financial Inclusion and Centre for Agrarian Studies, National Insitute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) jointly organised a four-day (06th – 09th September, 2021) online training programme on Skill Development and Employment Generation in Rural Informal Enterprise Sector.
The programme’s objectives were to equip and empower the rural informal entrepreneurs to upgrade their knowledge and approach to start a new sustainable entrepreneurial venture and/or scale up the existing ones in order to leverage the local employment opportunities for the rural youth, women and marginalised communities. The training programme aimed at enhancing the understanding of the informal enterprise sector and its various issues such as skill, technology, marketing, finance and so on. Attempts were also made to improve the understanding of the role of formal institutions in supporting the informal enterprises to transcend to the formal sector, and expand their scale of operation and local employment. The participants were expected to be able to guide the informal rural entrepreneurs to reap benefits from the formal institutions and grow their business. The training programme also aimed at helping the entrepreneurs understand various government schemes and policies towards skill development and employment generation in rural areas.
Dr. Rajendra P. Mamgain, Professor & Head, Department of Economics, Doon University delivered the inaugural address. He emphasised the emerging challenges of skill and employment generation, including issues related to reverse migration, decline of rural female labour force participation, youth unemployment, outreach and effectiveness of various schemes and programmes announced especially during lockdown period. In this ToT, sessions were scheduled to apprise the participants on the following topics such as ‘detailed understanding on employment and skill challenges in rural India’, ‘key pathways towards formalisation of rural informal enterprise’, ‘issues on regulatory, compliances, labour laws, emerging challenges faced by informal sector enterprises in the midst of pandemic’, ‘the gender dimensions of informal sector’, ‘the livelihood initiatives undertaken at Rural Technology Park (RTP)’, ‘issues related to financial inclusion and ease of access to finance for informal enterprises’ and so on. Detailed discussions were made on various enterprise promotion schemes and programmes announced especially during pandemic times. Sessions were handled by external and internal resource persons, who were experts on the issues under discussion.
A total of 46 participants, who were carefully shortlisted from 250 applications received via online registration process, attended this ToT. The participants included faculty members from SIRDs, ETCs, RSETIs, officials and young professionals from SRLM, Sector Skill Councils, bank officers, CRPs and representatives of NGOs and CSR affiliates. Due care was taken to conduct each session on an interactive platform and participants were encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences. Detailed feedback was collected from the participants via Training Management Portal (TMP). The feedback from the participants and resources persons revealed that the programme was satisfactory in all respects and the objectives and goals envisaged in the programme were duly realised. The four-day online ToT was jointly coordinated by Dr. Partha Pratim Sahu, CEDFI and Dr. Surjit Vikraman, CAS, NIRDPR.
Online ToT Programme on Participatory Management of Natural Resources in Rural Areas
Centre for Natural Resource Management, Climate Change & Disaster Mitigation (CNRM, CC & DM), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), organised a five-day online training programme on ‘Participatory Management of Natural Resources in Rural Areas’during 20th – 24th September, 2021.
Dr. Kiran Jalem, Programme Director highlighted the five-day programme schedule and the objectives of the programme. The topics covered in the training programme were Participatory Management of Natural Resources in Rural Areas: An Introduction, Forest Rights Act vis-à-vis the Rights of Forest Dwellers, PRA and Micro Level Planning for Participatory Management of Natural Resources, Spatial Technology for Natural Resource Management, Management of Natural Resources by Local Institutions Under PESA, Management of Common Property Resources by the Tribal Communities, Participatory Management of Watershed Development Projects, Role of Water User Associations and Participatory Irrigation Management for Equity of Water and Gender Issues in Natural Resource Management.
A total of 205 officials from Rural Development & Panchayati Raj and other sectoral departments, engineers and scientists from technical and scientific organisations, faculty members and research scholars from training & research institutes, colleges, State & Central universities, representatives of NGOs & CBOs, practising disaster managers, technical experts & professionals, faculty of SIRDs, Panchayati Raj Master Trainers, etc., had registered through online. A total of 130 participants have attended the course.
The programme consisted of an online quiz to test the trainee’s knowledge of the sessions. All the trainees were expected to score 50 per cent marks and ensure 75 per cent attendance for the issuance of the course certificate. Out of the 130 participants, 125 were eligible to get the e-certificate after successful completion of the course.
The programme was a success, as per the feedback received from the participants. All participants felt that the training programme was useful.
NIRDPR Organises Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav and Hindi Fortnight Celebrations 2021
The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad organised Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Hindi Fortnight Celebrations from 6th to 20th September, 2021.
On 23rd September, 2021, Hindi Day was celebrated on the campus. Smt. Anita Pandey, Assistant Director (Official Language), NIRDPR welcomed the Chief Guest and other officials and presented a brief outline of the programme.
The function was presided over by Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR. Conveying the Hindi Day greetings, the Director General mentioned the competitions organised at the Institute during the fortnight. “I am delighted to know that the work of bilingualisation of the Institute’s website is in the final stage. Apart from this, information about the programmes of the Institute is also being dispersed in Hindi on social media platforms like Twitter and translation of training material and training brochures is also being done in Hindi,” he said.
Further, Shri Shashi Bhushan, Financial Advisor & Director Financial Management and Deputy Director General (i/c), NIRDPR greeted the members of the audience on the occasion of Hindi Day and said that the promotion of Hindi has been increasing rapidly in the southern region.
As part of the Hindi fortnight celebrations, essay competition, quiz competition and elocution competitions were organised in the Institute from 6th to 20th September, 2021.
This apart, a lecture by Dr. M. Venkateshwara, former Head, Hindi Department (EFLU) on ‘Role of Hindi Journalism during the Freedom Struggle,’ was organised on 15th September, 2021. Dr. Akanksha Shukla, Associate Professor and Head (i/c), CDC gave the opening remarks. A total of 33 participants joined the lecture conducted via online platform.
On the occasion of Hindi Day, Smt. V. Annapurna, Junior Hindi Translator read out the message of Hon’ble Union Home Minister.
Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, Shri Shashi Bhushan, Financial Advisor & Director Financial Management and Deputy Director General (i/c), Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar and Director (Admn.) and Dr. Akanksha Shukla Head (i/c), CDC handed over the cash prizes to the winners of various competitions organised during Hindi Fortnight.
Shri E. Ramesh, Senior Hindi Translator proposed a vote of thanks. The programme ended with the national anthem.
Apart from the officers and employees of the Official Language section, Shri Syed Ishaq Hussain, Stenographer and Shri S. K. Gausoddin, UDC assisted in organising the programme and competitions as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Hindi Fortnight 2021.
Workshop cum ToT on Good Governance through Community Participation in Rural Development – Tools and Techniques
A regional online workshop cum Training of Trainers (ToT) on ‘Good Governance through Community Participation in Rural Development – Tools and Techniques was organised by the Centre for Good Governance and Policy Analysis (CGG& PA), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, during 20th -24th, September 2021.
Good Governance is a combination of the characteristics, namely accountability, transparency and public participation following the rule of law, responsiveness, equitable and inclusive, effective, efficient and participatory. Good Governance is about the processes for taking and implementing decisions. It is not about arriving at correct decisions, but about the best possible process for arriving at those decisions, especially when a community takes a lead for effective delivery of services as entitled. Community Participation Tools & Techniques will enable development practitioners with the knowledge to generate demand and improve governance at the local, regional, and national levels. Community participation tools & techniques are essential for learning, as many of the public policies are increasingly goal-oriented, aiming for measurable results and goals, and decision-centric.
During the inaugural address, Shri Saurabh Bhagat, IAS, Director General, J&K IMRD&PR emphasised that the success of democracy depends on participation by the community at all levels. He highlighted the importance of Good Governance through community participation for effective programme implementation in a more accountable, transparent and time-bound manner. He informed the participants about the importance of participatory tools and methods for ensuring good governance in rural areas. Shri Saurabh Bhagat concluded his address by highlighting the Back to Village (B2V) programme of the J&K government, which is a step towards involving the public in the decision-making process.
The workshop cum ToT programme was intended for enhancing the capacities of rural development practitioners with focused on the objectives: (a) To expose participants to the concept of welfare State and its policies (b) To identify governance deficits & gaps in the existing policies, (c) To enable participants to learn different community participation tools & techniques, and (d) To apply those tools for analysing the existing flagship programmes of rural development.
This ToT programme was undertaken to cover the following topics: Good Governance: Concept, Approaches, and Elements & Importance; Design & Applicability of Accountability & Transparency Tools and Techniques like Supply Side Governance FMA and SET Approaches, Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETs), Participatory Budgeting, Budget Analysis, Community Score Card (CSC) and Citizen Report Card (CRC) with regard to Good Governance through Community Participation in Rural Development.
The training programme contents were delivered through a judicious mix of lectures and discussions, and by sharing real-time case studies and examples for each of the tools discussed. The programme activities were carried out to explain and discuss the topic-wise understanding and with relevant case examples and were evaluated through discussions, quiz etc. At the end of the course, participants came forward with their plan of action on taking forward the key learnings from the ToT.
A total of 77 participants, including rural development practitioners, government officials, nodal officers, sectoral officers, officers from DRDA at the State and district level, SIRD faculty members, NGOs and CBOs from Jammu and Kashmir attended the ToT programme. Dr. K. Prabhakar, Assistant Professor, Centre for Good Governance & Policy Analysis (CGGPA) organised this programme.
Capacity Building Programmes: Process for Managerial Improvement
The process of capacity building is the improvement in an individual or organisation; it is a skill to produce, perform or deploy in a better manner. Since the 1950s, the term capacity building has been used by international organisations, governments, non-government organisations and communities as part of social and economic development in national and State level plans. Capacity building can refer to strengthening the skills of people and communities for small business and local grassroots movements, whereas organisational capacity building is used by NGOs and government to guide their internal development activities as a firm of managerial improvements and administrative practices. According to the United Nation’s Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), capacity development is the process by which people, organisations and society systematically stimulate and develop their capability over time to achieve social and economic goals, including improvement of knowledge, skills, systems and institutions-within a wider social and cultural enabling environment. The component of capacity building consists of five areas: a clear policy framework, institutional development and legal framework, citizen’s democratic participation and oversight, human resource improvement, and sustainability. Much of the actual focus has been given to training programmes and educational inputs.
Building the capacities of civil society organisations through targeted capacity building programmes with a special focus on areas for capacity building including documentation, accountability, IT, FCRA and legal compliances, project planning and management, participatory approaches, livelihood, NRM, appropriate technology dissemination, fundraising skills, etc., is one of the mandates of the newly constituted Centre for CSR, PPP & PA and Research Consultancy, NIRDPR, Delhi Branch.
Against this backdrop, the Centre for CSR, PPP & PA and Research Consultancy organised an online training programme on ‘building the knowledge of Civil Society Organisations through Capacity Building Programmes’ from 07th September to 10th September, 2021 for the voluntary organisations. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Pranab Kumar Ghosh, Assistant Director, Centre for CSR, PPP, PA & Research Consultancy, NIRDPR-Delhi Branch, New Delhi.
This programme was conceptualised to build leadership development, advocacy skills, technical skills, organising skills and other areas of personal and professional development, which will enable them to fulfil the mission and goals they originally set out to do. The aims and objectives of the programme were:
- To equip the Civil Society Organisations with the knowledge and skill for two main issues like a) project planning and management, b) financial management and documentation for running their organisations.
- To appraise them about some supporting issues like information technology, soft skills development, FCRA & legal compliances, fundraising, participatory approaches, etc., to act as resource persons in rural areas for socio-economic development.
- To enable them to prepare different rural development projects for the benefit of rural people.
Prof. G. V. Raju, Head, School of Public Policy and Good Governance, NIRDPR, Hyderabad and Prof. R. Murugesan, Director, NIRDPR, North-East Regional Centre (NERC), Guwahati delivered the welcome speech. Prof. G. V. Raju spoke about the association of NIRDPR with the civil society organisations for impacting the training programmes on developmental issues. Prof. R. Murugesan apprised the participants about the role played by the NERC in the rural development sector, especially in the North-Eastern States.
Dr. R. Murugesan, Director, NIRDPR (North-East Regional Centre), Guwahati delivering the welcome address
The programme comprised a total of eight sessions (two sessions per day) covering aspects like project planning & management, financial management, information technology for rural development, fundraising, soft skill development, etc. Senior faculty members of NIRDPR and experts from other institutions were the resource persons
In total, 40 representatives of CSOs/NGOs from 11 States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Odisha, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal) participated in this programme. The programme received a feedback score of 87 per cent in overall effectiveness (Speaker effectiveness- 90 per cent, Attitudinal change- 92 per cent, Knowledge-91 per cent, Course content -93 per cent and Skill – 90 per cent).
The participants of the training programme
Dr. Pranab Kumar Ghosh, Programme Director thanked the participants, resource persons and team members and hoped that the post-training period would see the following outcomes:
a) It will bring expertise vision, energy and experience in multiple professions and vocations with the CSOs
b) The CSOs will be in the best position to deliver their role for changing the mindset of rural community
c) The CSOs working in social sectors will be critical to effectively and efficiently spread the message of socio-economic development to the masses
d) The CSOs can contribute significantly to national development by creating awareness and community feeling in local areas.
Capacity Building Programme for the Charge officers of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)– II (iv) (2019-2024)
The SAGY – SAMARTHYA a capacity building programme on planning process and effective implementation of the Programme for the Charge Officers and Representatives of Gram Panchayats of SAGY – II (2019-24), sponsored by SAGY Division of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India was organised through online by NIRDPR, Hyderabad during September 28th -30th, 2021 for the States of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The programme was inaugurated by Smt. Roop Avtar Kaur, Director, SAGY Division, MoRD. While welcoming all the participants of the programme, she stressed upon the need to speed up the identification of SAGY Gram Panchayats by the Hon’ble Members of Parliament. She said that the state team of trainers should play an important role in facilitating the Members of Parliament to identify Gram Panchayat(s) under SAGY. She presented on the roles of Charge officers in SAGY and a few good performing SAGY- GPs this was informative for all the participants. In addition, Smt. Roop Avtar Kaur, presented the progress/status of SAGY in the 12 Indian states for whom this training programme was organised. The presentation covered wide range of information such as number of SAGY- GPs identified by phase wise, VDP progress, appointment of charge officers against each GPs, status of SoE submission, date when the last state level empowered committee was organised, and appointment of state level dedicated resource persons, etc., was shared with the information and conveyed to act upon it.
Later, Dr. Lakhan Singh, Asst. Professor and Programme Director, CHRD, NIRDPR presented about course structure/design and interacted with participants to make them more comfortable with the online mode. He also informed that the Institute, so far, trained more than 2,500 functionaries involved in the implementation of the programme. The clientele group mainly consists of Charge Officers of SAGY Gram Panchayats, and a few members of Presidents, Members/Representatives of of PRIs, etc. The course was attended by a total of 170 officials consisting of 147 males and 23 females from nine states such – Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
The objectives of the programme were (i) To orient the participants about the importance of SAGY programme and its role in creating model villages, (ii) To equip the participants with the strategies of SAGY scheme for effective implementation, (iii) To impart the skills and techniques of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) for effective planning processes, and (iv) To demonstrate various successful rural development models to the participants.
The sessions of training programmes were developed keeping in view the objectives of the programme and the feedback of the participants received from the previous rounds of programmes. The sessions which were delivered in three days included – Opportunities to make Model Village through empowerment of Gram Panchayats under SAGY, Successful models of rural development, Overview of SAGY, Use of Mission Antyodaya data for planning purpose, Observations from the post project evaluation study of SAGY, Entry Pont activities of SAGY, Resource envelope, Utilisation of resources through convergence, The VDP framework of SAGY: Baseline surveys, PRA tools and techniques, Experience learning from field visits of SAGY Gram Panchayats, Provisions in MIS for SAGY: uploading of baseline survey and village development plan, and finally feedback and action plan from the participants.
Dr. Chandrashekhar Pran, a renowned village development practitioner, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Mrs. Sharmistha from Mission Sammriddhi, Dr. C Kathiresan, Dr. R Ramesh from NIRDPR, Dr. S S Sarkar from Tejpur University, Prof. R. Suryanarayana Reddy, former Consultant from NIRDPR and Smt. Roop Avtar Kaur, Director (SAGY) and her Team from MoRD, New Delhi were invited as resource persons.
As the programme was conducted online, the resource persons were requested to make their sessions interesting and participative by using documentary films, charts, success stories, case studies, charts, photographs, live demonstration of website, PPTs, lecture method, question and answer session, etc.
During the valedictory session, Dr. Lakhan Singh, Course Director extended his thanks to all the State Governments for nominating the participants for this programme and also to the SAGY division of MoRD for their continuous support for organising this programme.
In the end, the participants were asked to evaluate the programme. The feedback highlights that more than 90 percent of the participants reported improvement in their knowledge, skill and change in their attitude by attending this programme. The programme was coordinated and conducted by Dr. Lakhan Singh, Assistant Professor, Centre for Human Resource Development, National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad.
ICICI RSETI Jodhpur Organises Bankers’ Sensitisation Meet
The ICICI RSETI Jodhpur organised a bankers’ sensitisation meet on 3rd September, 2021 to enlighten the executives of major banks on the work done by ICICI RSETI in the district. Other objectives of the meeting included creating a better understanding of the RSETI model among bankers, seeking support and increasing the credit linkage of RSETI-trained youth in the district, and also giving them a demonstration on India’s first IGBC Platinum Rated Net Zero Building by ICICI RSETI. The meet also aimed at sensitising the executives on the spoke model of RSETI envisioned for creating sustainable livelihoods for the rural youth.
All the participants were appraised on the working model of RSETI and the half-year progress along with the highlights of the last financial year. The team also presented a detailed progress report on the credit linkage where the RSETI acknowledged the support for credit linkage of rural youth under schemes like MUDRA, POP, PMEGP, etc. The applications under the category of pending for sanction or disbursement for credit were also presented.
The success stories were presented in the meeting through digital medium. Short videos on successful alumni, who ventured into entrepreneurship and strengthened their enterprises by availing credit supports from banks, were also shown. During the review of credit linkage, the LDM made an appeal to support the rural youth trained by RSETIs. The members appreciated the progress of ICICI RSETI Jodhpur and congratulated the entire team and alumni for their efforts and agreed to provide all possible support in credit linkage of rural youth.
Later, the participants were given a guided demonstration of the Platinum Rated Net Zero New Building and were briefed about the green building concept. The executives appreciated the building, especially the working models displayed on the premises and the efforts made for water conservation through STP and rainwater harvesting pits. They also interacted with the trainees, wished them success and also guided them in filling the credit linkage forms.
The executives opined that they were highly impressed with the performance of ICICI RSETI in creating sustainable livelihoods for the rural youth.
The officials who attended the meet included Shri Ashutosh Kumar, DGM, State Bank of India, Shri Dinesh Mittal, DGM, Punjab National Bank, Shri Suresh Buntolia, DGM, Bank of Baroda, Shri Vishnu Kumar, AGM, Union Bank of India, LDM, DDM, AGMs, and Chief Managers of all major banks.
SIRD and ETC corner
MoPR Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary Visit Odisha
Dr. C. S. Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and Shri Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, Govt. of India visited Odisha on 7th & 8th October, 2021. During the visit, they held a meeting with the Principal Secretary and senior officials of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department to discuss the roll-out of Svamitva scheme in Odisha. They also visited Badakharida Gram Panchayat in Purushottampur block of Ganjam district and appreciated the execution of Kaleswar project, which was completed in convergence mode using the fund from various schemes like CFC/SFS, MGNREGA, SBM, etc.
During the visit, the Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary held a meeting with the Principal Secretary and other senior officials of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department to discuss the status of People’s Plan Campaign (2nd Oct. – 31st Dec.) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan.
Later, Dr. C. S. Kumar and Shri Ashok Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary, PR&DW Department, Government of Odisha addressed a webinar on ‘PPC and Preparation of Qualitative GPDP’ organised by the SIRD&PR, Odisha for various State and district level officials of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, and other line departments.
Extension Training Centre, Tura, Meghalaya Trains SHG Members on Oyster Mushroom Cultivation
The Extension Training Centre, Tura, Meghalaya organised a two-day off-campus training programme on oyster mushroom cultivation for the self-help group (SHG) members of Rongram C&RD block at Bawegre village, from 24th to 25th September, 2021. The first day of the training programme covered the theoretical aspects whereas the second day focussed on practical sessions (hands-on training).
It may be noted that in most of the villages in Meghalaya, especially in Garo Hills, paddy straw is abundantly available and it remains idle and gets putrid. By cultivating the oyster mushroom using paddy straw, the SHGs can enhance their funds, thereby improving their livelihoods, making it one of the income-generating activities, and formulating the use of waste materials (paddy straw) to grow mushrooms. With these objectives, ETC, Tura organise the training programme.
Oyster mushrooms can be grown in a short duration and can be cultivated throughout the year. They can be cultivated indoors and do not require plenty of land. Besides, the cost of cultivation is also low.
Smt. Sunvalya R. Marak, ETC faculty, coordinated the programme along with the Master Trainers of ETC, Tura. Expressing their delight, the participants noted that they were attending such a programme for the first time.
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