Rural services project to get Rs 70 crore funding

AID FROM International Fund for Agricultural Development

The Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has allocated Rs 70 crore to the Rs 100 crore 'Jeevika' project in Gujarat.

The remaining Rs 30 crore will be funded by the government of Gujarat in association with the NGO, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA).

The project, implemented in Gujarat by SEWA, is aimed at improving governance of rural services like water supply, agriculture extension, healthcare, education and employment after the devastating earthquake in January 2001.

"IFAD has allocated Rs 70 crore for the Jeevika project to be implemented by SEWA. We have already released over Rs five crore and the remaining funds would be released as per the requirement of the project in a phased manner," Shyam Khadka, country programme manager, India, IFAD, said on Tuesday.

The seven-year project is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Leading United Nations agencies like UNOPS in association with IFAD and SEWA designed the Jeevika project.

Key bilateral donors including the European Union have shared their knowledge in implementing the project successfully.

Institutions like the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology are also directly or indirectly engaged in the project.

"Most of the fund allocated by IFAD will be for SEWA for implementing the project. One per cent will be for the state government monitoring the project," said Khadka.

The Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), Rural Development Department (RDD) and the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) of the state government are playing an important role in the project.

"The project is focused on poor women and local governance issues arising out of the three-year long recovery process following the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat. Over 40,000 SEWA members were affected by this disaster and almost all of them are making remarkable recovery with the help of this project," said Reema Nanavaty, project co-ordinator, Jeevaka Project.

SEWA, in association with the World Bank Institute, Washington DC and IFAD, has organised a two-day 'Jeevika-Best practices and experience sharing workshop' in Ahmedabad starting Tuesday to discuss performance of the Jeevika project and its activities.