Cluster Facilitation Project (CFP) under MGNREGA

Funding Agency: Dept. of Rural Development, UP

The worldwide pandemic situation has created unprecedented difficulties for laborers working in the unorganized sector. A vast majority of them have lost the opportunity of livelihood earning and have chosen to return to their native towns and villages. The government has also acknowledged the need for creating opportunities for infrastructure development in rural areas and achieving self-reliance in villages. Improving productivity of agriculture through water harvesting and soil conservation is a critical step in moving towards village self-reliance. Cluster Facilitation Project undertaken by Banwasi Seva Ashram under MGNREGA provides an ideal platform for carrying out water and soil conservation with a proper scientific planning. This can assure sustainable livelihood generation through agriculture and agro-forestry. The main objective under this project is providing livelihood security for the poor through creation of durable assets improved water security, soil conservation and higher land productivity. This will reduce the intensity of climatic changing hazards. The project envisages empowerment of socially excluded community and gives authority to Gram Sabha for planning and monitoring. Focus MGNREGA implementation has been transparency and reaching out to most needy in the society. The project is being implemented in three blocks of Sonbhadra district namely Myorpur, Chopan and Nagawa. These blocks are mostly inhibited by the schedule cast and tribal population. In Myorpur and Chopan blocks, on one hand, there are big industries, mines, and, on other hand villages are not connected, not electrified, are covering large area. Nagwa touches the border of Bihar, which is poorly connected hilly area. Thus, in these blocks there is a need to strengthen the village infrastructure to empower community specially excluded groups for their own development.

BSA has been entrusted with the task of ensuring deliverable targets are achieved. BSA will focus on people’s empowerment through time to time meetings and conducting orientation programs. The ongoing activities are focused on

• Developing a team of trained volunteers to support experts team and mobilize people’s participation in planning implementation.
• Regularizing Gram Panchayat office-regular timing, availability of updated records, timely implementation and voluntary discloser of implemented work detail.
• Connecting CFP expert team with Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha to carry out GIS based planning focusing on a) drought proofing and moisture conserving for micro-agricultural activities, b) ground water recharging, c) individual asset development.
• Identifying poor marginalized families and assign targeted individual family based projects to ensure predictable quality work with assigned number of job cards.
• Ensuring that that there is community ownership in the planning process by sharing the GIS planning concept at the ward level.

Ensure support from the Dept. of Rural Development, UP for district and block level administration to facilitate and accelerate the GIS planning and implementation at Gram Panchayat level.