In a bid to kick off the process of implementation of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), a Centrally sponsored scheme in Orissa, the Government of India would assist the state government in preparing an Action Plan.
The Action Plan would have all the relevant guidelines and details of expenditure needed for the implementation of NRLM in the state.
It may be noted that the state government has already constituted a core group for the implementation of NRLM. This core group would participate in a workshop on NRLM to be held in Hyderabad on June 22 this year. The implementation of the NRLM is expected to take off soon in Orissa.
It may be noted that the NRLM has been conceptualized by the Centre has replaced the Swarnajayant Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), a scheme which was primarily designed to promote self-employment oriented income generating activities for the BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in the rural areas. The SGSY had to be restructured based on the feedback provided and recommendations made by various studies including those conducted by National Institute of Rural Development-Hyderabad, Bankers' Institute of Rural Development-Lucknow and Centre for Management Development-Thiruvanthapuram.
The main weaknesses of SGSY were uneven spread in the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), high attrition rate in the SHGs, lack of adequate access to banking facilities, lack of capacity building and training and inadequate risk mitigation.
The NRLM has been created to provide greater focus and momentum for poverty reduction to achieve the various Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 through rapid increase in the coverage of rural poor households under self-employment.
