Panel soon to monitor executing agencies

Expressbuzz, Oct 30, 2009

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to constitute a sub-committee headed by the Development Commissioner to monitor progress of strengthening integrated tribal development agencies (ITDAs) for implementation of Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Project (OTELP).

A decision to this effect was taken at the eighth programme steering committee meeting presided over by Chief Secretary TK Mishra. As the OTELP is being executed through the ITDAs, it was decided that the agencies will be strengthened by more funding and filling up of vacancies. The ITDAs can also outsource the implementation of the OTELP.

OTELP launched in October, 2004 will be implemented in three phases. The first phase has been executed between 2004 and 2006 while the second phase started in 2007 will continue till 2011. The third phase will be completed in 2013-14.

The Rs 450 crore project is being funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the World Food Programme and the Centre.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the DFID to extend the funding of the programme beyond March, 2010.

The review of the project implementation revealed that so far Rs 125 crore has been spent on the project. The budget for this year has been fixed at Rs 63.5 crore of which Rs 13.64 crore had already been spent. This includes Rs 1.34 crore for programme management, Rs 1.28 crore for capacity building and Rs 11.01 crore for livelihood enhancement.

Official sources said that 7,321 landless families were identified in the areas covered by the project of which 3,524 families have been provided with homestead and agricultural land. Applications of 3,020 families have already been processed in the district committees.

So far OTELP has covered 56,018 households having a population of 2.2 lakh in the project areas. OTELP is being implemented in Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Gajapati districts. Eleven non-government organisations (NGOs) were selected at the meeting today for execution of the programme in Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts.

Following the implementation of the project, farm output has increased in the covered districts. Besides, there has been 40 per cent increase of income among the targeted population.