Jim Hancock, the team leader of Preliminary ICRR Mission Findings said that the progress and achievements of the project in Odisha is highly significant and objectively visible. Considering the report, Chief Secretary Sri Pati directed Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) to carry forward the assets created through TRIPTI. Chief Secretary advised to strengthen the institutional capacities and scale up the achievements already accomplished through the project.
Chief Secretary also advised Panchayati Raj Secretary Sri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, present in the meeting to take up the SHGs empowered by the project as ‘vehicles of change and development’ through convergence of various programmes and schemes. The department has been asked to link the gram panchayat level SHG federations formed and empowered under the project with GP level formal structure.
Available data showed that State Govt had initiated the project from 2007 and World Bank assistance was brought in the year 2009. Around 6.2 lakh poor people from among scheduled tribe, scheduled caste and economically vulnerable groups have been identified under the project against the target of 2.4 lakhs out of whom 3.6 lakhs have directly been benefited under the project.
Around Rs.446 cr has been invested in the project through World Bank and State Govt funding. A total number of 79,000 SHGs have been mobilized and empowered against a target of 30,000. Around 1010 GP level SHG federations have been made active and sustainable and they are now providing support to SHGs. A capital amount of Rs 570 cr was put for GPLF management, inter-loaning and relending which has now grown to Rs. 1402 cr of total capitalization in the community because of actual utilization and profit.
Around 73% of the community loans have been used in agriculture and related activities and 100,000 households have upgraded their productive activities through adoption of the SRI, line showing, seed village concepts etc. The report also says that these activities have brought around Rs. 120 cr of incremental income to the families in last 3 years. It may be pertinent to mention that the project was implemented in 38 blocks of 10 districts like Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jagatsingpur, Jajpur , Kendrapara, Khordha, Nayagarh and Puri.
The feedbacks received from stake holders show that the approaches like proper identification of the poor, micro & household investment plan, capacity building of the community through incentive based process, simple record keeping; identification of bank mitras from among SHG members, dedicated and professional implementation structure along with transparency and accountability have made the project successful. Chief Secretary Sri Pati has directed to document the interventions and processes already proved successful in the project and replicate them in livelihood mission activities. Further strengthening, institutionalization (registration) and monitoring of GPLFs.
Chief Executive Officer, OLM Sri Pranab Jyoti Nath, Additional CEO Sri Jayanta Narayan Sarangi , Team Task Leader of World Bank Sri Shamik Sundra Das along with senior officers from various concerned departments participated in discussions.