The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Poverty alleviation programme inaugurated

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Sunday, Aug 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Poverty alleviation programme inaugurated

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JULY 31. The Kudumbasree project taken up by the State Government, involving 28.5 lakh families and 1.35 lakh ayalkootams, has become a model in poverty alleviation in the country, the Minister for Local Self-Government, Cherkalam Abdulla, said here today.

Inaugurating the Poverty Alleviation Programme for Mattancherry (PAM) at the Mattancherry Town Hall, Mr. Abdulla said that the State Government had presented a proposal for Rs. 5.5 crores to the Union Government.

The project is being implemented with an assistance of Rs. 3.5 crores from the Union Government and Rs. 1.16 crores from the State Government.

The programme, first of its kind in urban poverty alleviation in the country, is being implemented under the supervision of the Kudumbasree, by pooling in assistance from financial institutions, banks and departments concerned.

Fund allocation

The programme has set apart Rs. 125 lakhs for 100 group ventures and Rs. 52 lakhs for 700 individual ventures, Rs. 51 lakhs for vocational training, Rs. 25 lakhs for 100 groups that have completed six months and Rs. 12 lakhs for performance-improving projects.

Another Rs. 30 lakhs has been earmarked for constructing centres for micro-entrepreneurs to market their products and Rs. 25 lakhs for improving the basic infrastructure for group ventures. Rs. 146.67 lakhs would be used for urban employment generation projects.

Advisory committee

A monitoring and advisory committee with the Minister for Local Self-Government as chairman, the Mattanchery MLA as vice-chairman and executive director of Kudumbasree as convener has been formed for the implementation of PAM.

Identity cards

After the inauguration, managers of the Union Bank of India and Central Bank of India handed over the loan sanction documents for direct marketing groups to the Minister.

Identity cards for the direct marketing groups were also distributed.

The Kochi Mayor, C.M. Dinesh Mani, presided over the function. V.K. Ibrahim Kunju, MLA, the Deputy Mayor, A.V. George, the chairman of Welfare Standing Committee, Kochi Corporation, K.J. Antony, the Corporation councillors, Shyamala S. Prabhu and K.H. Khalid, the president of CDS, West Kochi, Laila Das, the District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbasree, Kabir B. Haroon, and the Central Region Director of Kudumbasree, M.A. Aboobacker, spoke.

The first mayor of the Kochi Corporation, A.A. Kochunni, was also present.

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