Bhubaneswar, 30th October, 2013: The Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Project (OTELP) has been ranked as a high performing and leading project among 9 such projects operating in different states of the Country. The review team of IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development ) has given similar remarks after their field verification of the actual progress made in the field in different sectors like enhancement of livelihood options, increase in agricultural production, peoples’ participation in the activities of the project, skill development, outputs and outcomes, sustainability and other indicators of development.
This has come to light in the Programme Steering Committee Meeting held under Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Jugal Kishore Mohapatra in secretariat conference hall last evening, wherein Secretary ST & SC Development Sri Santosh Sadangi outlined the issues for discussion. Director OTEPL Sri Susant Nanda said that assessing the progress, IFAD has sanctioned additional funding of 90 cr. to intensify the ongoing activites. Chief Secretary Sri Mohapatra advised to promote more layer poultry farming and link up the farmers with local MDM and Anganwadi SNP (Supplementary Nutrition Programme) for the assured marketing of their products. The Committee recorded its appreciation for Secretary Sri Santosh Sadangi for his dynamic guidance in scaling up the activities of the programme.
Review reveals that the achievement of the project has been rated as over 81% in all its components and activities. The impact assessment of the project on income generation shows that by 2012-13 around 100% families in project area have accepted one or other permanent source of livelihood, 98% of households have got 2 sources, around 91% have got 3 sources and around 61% of the households have got four sources of livelihood. The programme has boosted up food security of the households from 77% achieved in 2011-12 to 94% in 2012-13. The impact of the programme on agricultural production shows that by the year 2012-13 around 81% of families are using irrigation systems throughout the year and 65% of families are cultivating land both for consumption and sale compared to 28 during 2010-11. Around 55% of the families are also growing high value crops.
Assessment of other indicators show that around 73% of households have adopted key technologies like seed replacement, composting, crop diversification, growing of vegetables, kitchen gardening, nutritional garden etc. promoted by the Programme. Around 67% of households have increased income from live stocks like goat, backyard poultry and duck rearing and 4% of families have adopted pisciculture. Drinking water and sanitation programme have reached to more than 80% of families and 77% of households have got access to credit institutions.
Land titles have been settled in favour of 26038 families and more than 18000 destitute families have been supported with livelihood assets. Various innovative projects like pico/micro hydro projects, hydraulic ram for lifting water to uplands etc are being piloted and people are responding to such interventions in encouraging measure.
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Available data shows as of now a total amount of Rs 296.23 cr. have been received as grants in aid out of which Rs.282.55 cr have already been utilized in different activities of the programme. Out of Rs.50.39cr. budget for 2013-14 expenditure till the date has been Rs.14.89 cr. Since the preparatory ground work for implementation of Annual action Plan has been over, it is expected that the expenditure rate will go up during coming months.
The project has promoted a large number of women SHG’s and village level institutions and has equipped them with skills to plan and implement the development projects. A number of village youths have been trained in various sectoral skills. A number of soil and water conservation structures have been constructed across all project villages.
Near about 100% of the beneficiary households have been made aware about the project and its activities and more than 95% have been involved in various land and water management activities. Around 81% of households have developed their land through project activities and 81% have been involved in various agricultural development programmes. Agricultural production has gone up around 60% and vegetable production has also been boosted up to 90%.
It may be of worth to mention that OTELP was launched in 2003-04 in 1042 villages of 30 backward blocks of Koraput, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Malkanagiri, Nawarangpur and Rayagada districts in phased manner. Considering the growing demands of people from the adjoining community, Govt of Odisha has extended the programme in to additional areas in the existing districts and to three new districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj & Sundargarh. This new programme named as PTELP Plus has been approved for 585 Micro Water Sheds ( MWS), covering near about 2000 villages in 10 districts.
This new programme is running with State Govt. funding and convergence of ongoing poverty eradication and productivity enhancement schemes of Govt. OTEPL Plus has been scheduled up to 2018-19. Till now 535 MWS have been formed and made operational in 9 districts covering 1530 villages and 310157 treatable land for development.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Sri U.N. Behera Additional Chief Secretary and Administrator Western Odisha Development Council Dr. Taradatt, Secretary ST & SC Development Sri Santosh Sadangi, Secretary Panchyati Raj Sri D.K.Singh, Secretary W & CD Smt Arati Ahuja, Secretary FARD Sri Sanjeeb Mishra along with other senior officials participated in discussions.
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