Project to be executed at the cost of Rs 540 crore: DoNER minister
IMPHAL, January 8 (NNN) : The Union Minister of State (independent charge), Paban Singh Ghatowar for Development of North Easter Region (DoNER), today launched the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project-III or NERCOMP-III for Churachandpur and Chandel.
The function jointly organised by DONER, North Eastern Council (NEC), and Manipur Government was held at the Manipur Film Development Corporation.
Addressing the function, Ghatowar had said that the project cost of the NERCORMP-III for the two districts is Rs 540 crore.
He said that the two districts under the project will utilize a total amount of Rs 216 crore extending from 2014 to 2020.
He also said that the third phase of the project has been launched for Churachandpur and Chandel districts after the successful launch of the project in Ukhrul and Senapati districts of the state in two phases in 2008 and 2010.
“Improvement in the economic condition of above 60 percent population of the two districts covered by the earlier two phases has been witnessed. Above 68 percent of the families has been lifted above the poverty line.”
He said that villagers in the two districts will get direct benefits from the project in taking up organic farming, fishery, forestry, enterprise, soil and water relative activity, and eco-tourism, besides electrification, construction of sanitary toilets, and improvement of roads and bridge.
Ghatowar also sought full cooperation from the district authorities, MLAs, and village authorities in smooth implementation of the project.
Addressing the function, state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said that the ministry of DoNER under the leadership of the minister has been kind enough to sanction the North Eastern Community Resource Management Project for two more districts- Churachandpur and Chandel in Manipur.
“In Manipur, the project has already been implemented in Ukhrul and Senapati.”
Encouraged by the success of the first two phases, the state had approached the Planning Commission and DoNER to extend the Project to other hill districts of Manipur, he said.
“NERCORMP is a livelihood project funded by North Eastern Council”, and a very ambitious project, the Chief Minister said.
“It is a major step taken by the Ministry and the NEC for backward areas of our state. Rs500 crores will be invested in the two districts over the period of six years”, he said.
He further observed that the key to success of the programme lies in the participatory approach which IFAD and NEC- the two promoters of the project have followed.
There is ownership of the project by the community. NGOs are both stakeholders and facilitators in the project. Best of all, there is participation of women in the project. 50% of the members of the implementation unit at village level comprises of women. In income generating activities also,
women SHGs have played an important role, he said.
The state CM further mentioned that apart from NERCORMP project, Ministry of Rural Development has also launched a livelihood programme, namely the National Rural Livelihood Mission which is a flagship programme of the UPA Government.
Manipur has set up a dedicated society for implementation of this project and the programme is at initial stage of preparatory phase, he elaborated.
As a pilot project, the state has decided to start the programme in Imphal East and Chandel districts, he continued.
Elaborating further, the CM said that if the various projects launched by the central government and those the state government have launched for hill areas are implemented sincerely, the results will be very positive and beneficial.
The government has also launched the Tribal Area Inclusive Growth Infrastructure Project in all the hill districts with the support of the Planning Commission, which will create composite facilities such as administrative buildings, banks, security, telecom, post offices etc for the far flung areas in the state at block or sub divisional headquarters.
The state has also started construction of 50 bedded hospitals in all district headquarters. In the power sector, the government is building a number of new sub stations and transmission lines in the hill areas with the support of DoNER, NEC and the Planning Commission, he said.
Ameishing Luikham, secretary, NEC, UK Sangma, secretary DoNER and L Baite, managing director, NERCORMP were also present at the function.