World Bank To Provide US$ 600 million (approx. Rs 3,870 crore) Across Four New Projects in Jharkhand

The World Bank extended its support to the Government of Jharkhand with a proposed assistance program of about US$ 600 million (approx. Rs 3,870 crore1]) for four new state-level projects over the next 2-3 years*. This was announced by the World Bank Country Director, Junaid Ahmad, following his meetings with the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Raghubar Das. This is the first state visit by the Country Director of the World Bank since taking over office.

The new state-level projects will help improve infrastructure and provide sustainable urban and rural services in the areas of water supply and sanitation for the people of Jharkhand; increase the power transmission capacity; and diversify household income through select farm and non-farm sectors.

Jharkhand is a key state in India's growth trajectory and in its fight against poverty. The Chief Minister has identified a series of important reforms to hasten the pace of development in the state and the World Bank has committed its full support to these efforts, said Junaid Ahmad World Bank Country Director in India, following his meeting with the Chief Minister. Our projects over the next few years will help the state strengthen the delivery of public services through investments in rural and urban infrastructure - enabling its people to gain access to better jobs and services, he added.

Among the upcoming projects, the US$ 300 million (approx. Rs 1,935 crore) Jharkhand Municipal Development Project aims to provide citizens with sustainable basic services such as water supply and sanitation by enhancing the capacity of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to undertake policy reforms and set up systems that will help them better manage their resources and increase accountability.

The US$ 150 million (approx. Rs 967.50 crore) World Bank financing for Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project will support the state in increasing the transmission of power from Jharkhand to other states of the country; increase the power transmission capacity; streamline procurement and contract management practices in the transmission company, Jharkhand Urja Sancharan Nigam (JUSNL); and help the distribution company, Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam, (JBVNL) reduce its Aggregate Transmission and Commercial (AT&C) losses.

The US$ 100 million (approx. Rs 645 crore) World Bank financing for Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth Project (JOHAR) will enhance and diversify household income in select farm and non-farm sectors. The project will promote market access and private sector participation, foster skill development relevant to the value chains, and facilitate the development of a pro-poor agricultural system.

The Jharkhand Service Delivery Improvement Project, for which the World Bank is expected to provide US$ 50 million (approx. Rs 322.50 crore) will help the government provide services to its citizens through the Pragya Kendras. The project aims to increase the number of beneficiaries accessing real time gross settlement of funds (RTGS) services, especially in rural areas; improve the timelines and quality of services and increase the number of beneficiaries receiving direct benefit transfers through Integrated Financial Management Services (IFMIS) platform.

In addition to the existing pipeline of proposed projects, the World Bank will support the Government of Jharkhand's reform initiatives through technical and analytical work, and bring experience from other states and countries to address state specific challenges.

The World Bank Country Director travelled to villages in Block Angara in Ranchi district and interacted with rural households. He saw how women self-help groups had mobilized themselves to help increase their family income by undertaking farm and non-farm livelihood activities like animal husbandry, handicrafts and minor forestry activities.

World Bank in Jharkhand

Several World Bank supported national development programs, amounting to Rs 2,393 crores, are currently active in Jharkhand - covering irrigation, health, roads, livelihoods, rural water, sanitation and education sectors.

Recently, a US$ 63 million (approx. Rs 406.35 crore) Tejaswini Socioeconomic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Jharkhand was signed with the state on February 23, 2017. The aim of the project is to help improve market-driven skills training and secondary education for adolescent girls and young women in select districts of Jharkhand.

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