NERLP was implemented in 4 North East States including Tripura to empower rural women and youth with livelihood opportunities.
ProMASS News
Agartala, December 05, 2019: Tripura topped among four North East States in providing training to people under the North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP) while West District of the State emerged in top in terms of forming highest number of SHGs.
The NERLP that envisaged empowering rural women and unemployed youths was launched in 2012 in four States – Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim and was implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).
In Tripura, total number of people trained under the project stands at 3932 followed by Sikkim with 3491 persons skilled. In Mizoram and Nagaland, total 1601 and 1438 persons were trained respectively. Total 10462 boys and girls were trained in various job skills in the four States.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER DrJitendra Singh in written reply to a question in LokSabha on December 4 last.
Moreover, 2,92,889 households in the four States were covered through formation of 28,154 Self Help Groups (SHGs) and 1,212 Village Federations, as well as formation of 1599 Community Development Groups (CDG). As a result, women have become financially more capable resulting increase in family incomes, Dr Singh said.
It may be noted that NERLP was launched to improve the rural livelihoods by building community based organizations and developing partnership with Government and other institutions for knowledge, skill, credit, insurance, extension and market. The World Bank aided project NERLP covered 1,645 villages under 58 development blocks across 11 districts of the four states. It was concluded on September 30last and is running on an extended time upto December 31 for completion of closure related activities, mainly audit of the scheme.
In Tripura, NERLP was implemented in West, North, Sepahijala, Khowai and Unakoti districts and 559 villages were covered benefitting 189133 households. Under the project total 18001 SHGs and 565 Community Development Groups were formed in the State. Out of total 11 districts in four States, West Tripura district formed the highest – 4701 number of SHGs under the prtoject.
Detailing about the overall performance of NERLP, the Minister informed the Lok Sabha that 97 per cent of the members of SHGs formed by the project had Savings Bank Accounts with a cumulative savings to the tune of Rs.60.51 crores. Project had released a Community Investment Fund (CIF) of Rs.319.15 crores to 28,154 SHGs. A total number of 5,535 SHGs had availed bank linkage with a total sanctioned bank loan amount of Rs.58.19 crores. The average loan amount per SHG from Bank was Rs.1.02 Lakh. (Source: PIB)