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A Case Study of THE ANDHRA PRADESH RURAL LIVELIHOODS PROJECT”
There are 141 families in Gangasanipalle village which is in Bhongir Mandal of Nalgonda district. Though it is a small village, all the project works have been planned and executed by the villagers.
The APRLP watershed activities started in 2003. All the women in the village formed themselves into eight self-help groups, which, on 29 November 2003 formed the village organisation. Every group deposited a membership fee of Rs.4, 500 with the village organisation. On the 25th of every month a village organisation meeting is held. It is mandatory for at least two members from each self-help group and all the committee members to attend this meeting. Loan applications are screened and approved at the village organisation meeting.
To support the functioning of the village organization, four sub-committees have been formed. Each sub-committee has four members. One is a member of the village organisation and three are self-help group leaders.
• Works Identification Committee:
The committee decides on the applications made by farmers to undertake watershed development works, NRM and other related activities. The members go to the proposed site and evaluate the need for the work to be done. If NRM works are proposed they go along with the engineer and assess the situation. The subcommittee meets on the 16th of every month to discuss these proposed works and submits its report to the village organisation meeting on the 25th of the month. The work starts as soon as the village organisation gives its approval.
• Repayments Committee:
This committee decides on the loans to be disbursed and is responsible for ensuring repayment of the loans. It keeps track of the repayment schedules and meets on the 12th of every month to discuss the status of repayments. On the 25th when the village organisation meets it presents its observations and discusses the action to be taken.
Productivity Enhancement Committee:
The committee oversees farmers’ issues relating to seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. Its primary work is on enhancement of productivity of crops. It meets on the 6th of every month to discuss on these issues and reports to the village organisation meeting on the 25th of the month.
• Livelihoods Promotion Committee:
This committee plans and monitors the activities of people who have taken loans to promote their livelihoods. The committee makes sure the recipients have invested the loan money on the proposed livelihoods activity. It also monitors how much they have spent on the activity. This ensures that the loan money is spent properly. For instance, if a beneficiary wants to buy a buffalo with the loan, the committee ensures that she has really utilized the loan to buy a buffalo. If the beneficiary did not buy a buffalo or has used the money for something other than the stated purpose, she would have to return the loan to the group / village organisation within a week. Thus the Livelihoods Promotion Committee maintains a strict check on disbursed loans and reports to the village organisation at the monthly meeting.
Loans ranging from Rs.5, 000 to Rs.20, 000 are extended to farmers under the Productivity Enhancement component and loans ranging from Rs.2, 000 to Rs.30, 000 are extended to the poor under the Livelihoods Promotion component of the revolving fund.
A separate bank account, which has to be a joint account, is maintained for every development work/activity. Thus transparency, participation and efficiency are ensured and maintained in the implementation of every activity in Gangasanipalle village and it is therefore regarded as a model village in the project.
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