By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The study tour team from Uganda and Tanzania which toured Madhya Pradesh has termed as commendable the efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled state government for betterment of lives of poor people of rural areas through its District Poverty Initiative Programme, (DPIP).
The team members said it was indeed a remarkable achievement that with the help of this programme people have not only increased their income but their self-confidence has also increased.
Study team’s head and Northern Uganda’s Minister of State for Rehabilitation Hon David Wakikona said that he was very much pleased after witnessing betterment of villages through change in lives of people through DPIP. Especially, DPIP has stemmed migration of people from villages to urban areas for searching jobs and the programme has provided them livelihood in villages itself. He saw these changes in the perspective of rural development in his own country.
Wakikona said mobilising groups in the form of a federation under DPIP and then forming of village upliftment committees and producer companies is like a great motivator. Congratulating the staff engaged in implementing DPIP, Wakikona appreciated the efforts being undertaken by the government. The study team also praised the method adopted in the programme implementation, village budget and provision of infrastructure development.
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Earlier, while welcoming the team members, DPIP Project Coordinator Dr Ravindra Pastor informed that in view of success of DPIP, the Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to implement other rural development programmes through the same method. Coordinated Livelihood Programme would be implemented throughout the state under Madhya Pradesh State Livelihood Forum. Under this scheme, 40 lakh families living below poverty line would be organised in self-help groups for providing them livelihood.
Dr Pastor highlighted the features adopted in successful implementation of DPIP including empowerment of groups and organising them in producer companies etc. He also gave satisfactory replies to the queries made by members of the study tour.
Apart from Northern Uganda’s Minister of State for Rehabilitation Hon David Wakikona, the study tour team comprised of Permanent Secretary in Prime Minister’s Secretariat Martin Odwedo, Member of Parliament and Member of National Policy Committee Jessica Alupo, Urban Authority’s chairman and Human Resources Committee member John Bohagna, President of Fiscal Planning and Economic Development Ministry Ismail Magona, Northern Uganda’s UNSAF executive director Charles Okumo and engineer Luis Olobo.
The team also included Tanzanian capital Dar-es-Salam’s Commissioner Abbas Kandoro, Tanzanian Social Action Fund’s executive director Dr SB Likwelile, Project Officer Ms Tatu Mwaruka and Kibaha Town Council director Mrs. Margaret Nayalile. From the World Bank side, task team leader Sulaiman Nmara, Ida Majolo and South-South Learning Partnership coordinator Krishna Pidatala and Vijay Shekhar Kawalkonda were also in the team. ([email protected])