The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 4 districts selected for pilot study on poverty

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

4 districts selected for pilot study on poverty

By Divya Ramamurthi

CHENNAI, APRIL 3. A steering committee for the World Bank-sponsored poverty reduction and empowerment project last week selected Perambalur, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram and Dharmapuri districts for carrying out pilot studies.

This is in addition to projects that would be implemented in Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Namakkal, Tiruvallur and Tuticorin districts.

A base line study, analysing several parameters including household profile, revenue and asset patterns and vulnerability criteria, in these six districts has already been carried out.

A village from each of the 10 districts in which to test the pilots would be drawn up shortly, an official of the Tamil Nadu Corporation for the Development of Women (DeW) said at a training programme for Collectors and non-governmental organisation members on the project.

The percentage of families living below the poverty line, the number of families belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities and the willingness of panchayat leaders to be involved in the project were key factors that would decide the village and panchayat blocks for the pilots, the official said.

The World Bank-sponsored poverty alleviation scheme with an initial outlay of Rs. 670 crores is most likely to begin from July.

It aims at improving the livelihood and quality of life of the rural poor in Tamil Nadu (particularly women and other disadvantaged groups) through social, economic and democratic empowerment.

The project proposes to "build the productive and non-productive assets of the poor by (i) meeting their basic needs, (ii) improving income and income security, and (iii) supporting collective action to improve their social, economic and political bargaining position," a World Bank report said.

In the pilot project, five different models of management would be tested and the most suitable would be used to develop a road map for the project, the official said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu