WB to continue funding rural livelihood programme

Impressed by the results of the rural livelihood programme, which was rechristened Indira Kranti Patham by the Rajasekhara Reddy government, the World Bank today indicated a second round of funding for the project in the state.

A 66-member delegation comprising Praful Patel, vice-president and regional director of the World Bank, Michael Carter World Bank's India country director, task managers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and officials from several Indian states, today concluded a four-day visit to various districts to study the self-help group movement.

Patel said that the World Bank was planning to fund the programme beyond 2008, the end of the time frame for the present assistance.