Kohima, May 20 (DIPR): The World Bank team led by Joint Secretary for DONER, Jayashree Mukherjee, on Wednesday held a meeting with the Chief Secretary for Nagaland, administrative heads, and heads of Development departments at Hotel Japfü, Kohima.
The Joint Secretary in her introductory speech said that the project which is funded by the World Bank is meant to enhance agriculture products in the areas for improvement of the daily lives of the poor. The project is being implemented in Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura in the North East, with Peren and Tuensang districts having been selected in Nagaland. She added that the project is focusing on skill building, marketing and enhancing livelihood security of the poor so that people no longer stay poor.
Sr. Rural Development Specialist, Biswajit Sen, while giving a PowerPoint presentation on the project, said that its main objective is to achieve and enhance livelihood productivity among local community groups through participatory and demand-driven investment choices and collective action with support from value adding partnership. Its approach, he informed, is to build the strength of the IFAD-supported NERCOMP Project and community-based groups’ formation for livelihood generation and natural resources management.
Sen further added that at the community level, they are focusing on formation of SHG groups, village level community groups for farming system, community infrastructures and service delivery and identification and training of youth for job employment.
Raj Verma, Joint Secretary and Deputy Team Leader for NEPED, also giving a presentation on ‘Livelihood option in Nagaland, the way forward’ based on Tuensang and Peren, said that the main problems the districts face are transportation, communication and inadequate health services. They are most vulnerable to climate change, he added, while saying that steps should be taken towards understanding the people and analysing the situation. Verma said that the people need to build confidence, especially among young people and women, inspire leadership, and to create role models. Providing information and access to credit facilities are great empowering effects, he added.
Short Power Point presentations of their developmental activities were also made by the Nagaland Bee Keeping and Money Mission, Nagaland Bio-resource and Money Mission, Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency, and Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED).
Earlier, Chief Secretary Lalthara, IAS, welcomed those gathered at the programme chaired by Commissioner and Secretary for planning and Nodal Officer for NERLP, I Himato. The visiting team included Joint Secretary DONER (GoI) Jayashree Mukherjee, Country Manager for IFAD, Matia Galati, Director (Administration & Planning) at NEC, Santanu Mitra, Sr. Rural Development Specialist Biswajit Sen, and Dr. V T Darlong, IFAD.
