SIKKIM - STATE ANNUAL PLAN 2001-2002

CO-OPERATION

DEMAND NO. 4

The government has declared Co-operative as a priority sector and launched a progamme to set up one Multipurpose Society (MPCS) in each Panchayat unit (159 nos.) Each Society is being provided with assistance towards overhead cost and mobilization of business capital, SIMFED and SISCO Bank are also being geared up to provide business support to the Societies. While 95 societies being provided with support in this year, the start up assistance to remaining Panchayat MPCS is to be made available along with the balance share capital contribution to SISCO Bank in the next fiscal. The Apex Societies are also to be strengthened. Schemes drawn up are:—

(1) CREDIT CO-OPERATIVES                                                                                                                                         Rs 437 lakhs

Sikkim State Cooperative (SISCO) Bank has been gearing up its services and the Board has recently approved setting up of a branch at Jorethang. Societies have started availing of short term and medium term loans. Share capital contribution balance of Rs 550 lakhs will be released to complete government’s funding commitment to the Bank as per RBI stipulation. Assistance has also to be given to stablize operations of the Bank Capital support is being provided for this remaining Panchayat-MPCS along with assistance to meet overhead costs. Provisions have also been made for these MPCS to participate in the credit schemes of the Bank.

(2) DAIRY CO-OPERATIVES                                                                                                                                         Rs 17 lakhs

Due to extremely high costs incurred in it’s far flung operations, Sikkim Milk Union has not been able to build up a good capital base. We propose to continue contribution to reimbursement of operating losses and equity participation in SISCO Bank.

(3) TRANSPORT AND MARKETING                                                                                                                             Rs 10 lakhs

Primary and apex societies have not been able to achieve viability mainly due to high transport costs and isolated locations. Assistance to societies in the initial years has to be continued. Apex societies have also to be strengthened and assisted to render services to societies at competitive costs. Provisions have been made to strengthen the capital base of the apex units and help them to participate in the Regulated market, which has been set up at Rangpo.

(4) CONSUMER CO-OPERATIVE                                                                                                                                Rs 21.50 lakhs

The existing schemes of managerial, rental and transport assistance to new consumer societies will be continued.

(5) CO-OPERATIVE STORAGE                                                                                                                                         Rs 5 lakhs

With the launching of the programme to have one MPCS in each Panchayat, considerable progress has been made in starting the societies. We propose to support the efforts of societies in developing their own storage space and upgrading existing premises.

(6) CO-OPERATIVE TRAINING                                                                                                                                         Rs 3 lakhs

With setting up of Panchayat MPCS more training programmes have been taken up. The feedback has been encouraging and we propose to organize further training for Departmental Staff and Bank and Societies.

(7) INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY                                                                                                                               Rs 2 lakhs

The Office bearers of the new societies requite exposure and training. The existing programmes of regular meetings, seminars etc will be stepped up to cover all new societies.

(8) CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION                                                                                                                                     Rs 2 lakhs

Being a Cooperative backward State, there is a need to develop professional qualifications of the staff and management of the societies; they are being sponsored for courses in cooperative training institutions. The preparatory report for setting up a Cooperative Union has been completed and it is expected that the Union will become functional next year. Assistance for meeting initial expenses is being provided.

(9) CO-OPERATIVE AUDIT                                                                                                                                         Rs 1 lakhs

The existing Cooperative audit has to be strengthened in order to meet the requirements of the new societies. Provision is being made for expansion of the district offices.

(10) DIRECTION AND ADMINISTRATION                                                                                                                   Rs 71.50 lakhs

Government has approved the creation of new division and sub-division offices and provision of vehicle to each office Provision has to be made for salaries, office expenses and other costs. Computerization of district and other officers are also proposed to take advantage of the II infrastructure being developed in the State.

ABSTRACT

Amount Of which capital 1. Cooperative Credit 437 430 2. Dairy 17 2 3. Transport & Marketing 10 - 4. Consumer 21.50 16.50 5. Storage 5 - 6. Training 3 - 7. Publicity 2 - 8. Education 2 - 9. Audit 1 - 10. Direction & Administration 71.50 - Total 570.00 448.50

 

RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

 DEMAND NO. 36

BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF SCHEMES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Swarn Jayanti Gram swarojghar Yozana

Self Employment programme covering organisation of poor into self help group, training, credit technology, infrastructure and market.

Integrated Rural Energy Programme

Renewable source of energy programme emphasized in the field of saving of Rural Energy both indoor and outdoor lighting. The scheme also includes Biogas Chulas etc.

Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yozana (JGSY)

Three are need to develop village economy creation of Rural Infrastructure.

Employment Assurance Scheme

Creation of the employment opportunities for the unemployed living in the Rural areas specially during the lean period.

Community Development and Panchayat

To ensure effective administration and developmental activities in each district and providing necessary infrastructure in view of devolutions of powers to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Rural Water Supply & Sanitation

To provide clean safe drinking water in all the remaining habitation @40 lpcd and improve the sanitation facilities in the Rural areas. The Govt of India has introduced the scheme called Pilot Project from 1999-2000 onwards.

Rural Roads and Bridges

To improve the rural economy rural connectivity is an important part.

Rural Housing Scheme

Providing shelter to economically weaker section is the main element for socio economic development programme.

OBJECTIVE

Uplift the economy of the weaker section through sustainable income generation, saving of the rural Energy, development of village economy and creation of rural Infrastructure, creation of employment opportunities in Rural areas, provide infrastructure for administrative and developmental activities, provide clean and safe drinking water to rural areas, Ensure better sanitation facilities in rural areas, Development of Road communication infrastructure in Rural areas, socio economic development through providing shelter to the economically weaker rural people.

DRDA ADMINISTRATION

IX PLAN OUTLAY: (Recently launched. No projection could be made)	Annual Plan 2001-2002
	Rs 100.00 lakhs

Local level planning for integrated Development was a phenomenon of relatively recent origin coinciding with the realization by the Government that the involvement of the rural people, particularly, the rural poor in their development was of utmost significance. The rationate of local level planning was based on its role in facilitating decision making by the rural poor in formulating and implementing development projects and activities more acutely attuned to their requirements and mobilizing and allocating resources to exploit fully the growth potential of local areas. That would lead to a development scenario at the local level consistent with the specific needs of the people, growth potential of the area and budgetary allocations available. Thus, the emphasis would be to identify the location of development centres, including peopleis organization and development departments at the level to provide coordination; to mobilize and organize peopleis participation; to plan for infrastructure and economic and social development; to facilitate the undertaking of developmental programmes including conduct of diagnostic surveys or prepare village profile and to supply inputs to the village population.

Accordingly, the Sikkim Rural Development Agency (SRDA) was devised as a principal organ to act as a crucial linkage in the capacity building of different agencies, viz. the Government functionaries, PRIs, NGOs and financial institutions involved in the process of local level planning for effective implementation of anti-poverty programmes; to act as a facilitator to the targeted beneficiaries; to coordinate and oversee the conduct of BPL related surveys; to aid and carry out research & evaluation studies that are initiated by the centre & state government.

As required under the guidelines issued by the Government of India, the Sikkim Rural Development Agency (SRDA) which is synonymous to the DRDA, ordinarily is a society registered under the societies Registration act consisting of an apex Governing Body known as SRDA with four District Administrative Agencies (DAA) confirming to the four administrative districts of Sikkim. Each of these DAA is further sub-divided into DAA blocks and details are as under:

Sl. No Name of DAA Number of Blocks 1. East Gangtok 10 2. North Mangan 6 3. South Namchi 10 4. West Gyalshing 10   Total 36

 

Till 31.3.99, administrative cost of the DRDA were being met by way of part of the programme fund of IRDP, JRY, EAS, DPAP, etc. and with varying salary structure of different states, a new provision of "DRDA Administration" was introduced with 75:25 centre/state financial support.

The SRDA under the present arrangement is headed by the Secretary, RDD who is also the ex-officio Chairperson and each of the programme, Viz. Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS), Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) and Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) are headed by the Project Directors in the rank of Joint Secretaries with a backup support of organizational infrastructure as emphasized I the DRDA guidelines.

For the year 2000-2001 a provision of Rs 100.00 lakhs was earmarked under DRDA Administration for establishment expenditure i.e. mainly salary payment of staff under JGSY, SGY, and EAS. For year 2001-2002 a provision of Rs 100.00 lakhs is proposed.

For transforming rural India, the Government of India has introduced numerous poverty alleviation programmes for a bringing about a change. Each of the programme with its proposed financial outlay are presented below in detail.

SWARNJAYANTI GRAM SWAROJGAR YOJANA

IX PLAN OUTLAY : 900.00 lakhs

Approved Plan Outlay: 50.00 lakhs

The restructured Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) was launched on 1^st April, 1999 by amalgamating the earlier self employment and allied programmes, Viz. IRDP, TRYSEM, SITRA, GKY and MWS which are no longer in operation. It is centrally sponsored scheme and funding is shared by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. This programme covers families below the poverty line in rural areas with special safeguards to the SC/STs, women and physically handicapped. Subject to availability of funds, it is proposed to cover 30 per cent of the rural poor in each block in the next 5 years.

The SGSY is a Credit-cum Subsidy programme. It is conceived as a holistic programme of micro-enterprises covering all aspects of self employment, such as organization of the poor into Self Help Groups, training, Credit Technology, infrastructure and marketing.

The SGSY lays emphasis on cluster activity for which 4-5 key activities will be identified for each block based on resources, occupational skills of the people and availability of markets. Selection of key activities will be done by the Panchayats and the SRDA and will be focussed on group approach involving the organisation of the poor into Self Help Groups as well as through individual Swarojgaris identified through participatory process from among the families identified in the BPL census. The target is for setting up of 100 self help groups in the current financial year.

This programme seeks to promote multiple credit rather than a one-time credit injection by carefully assessing the credit requirement and encouraging increase in their credit intake over the years. The subsidy provision would be uniform at 30% of the project cost subject to a ceiling of Rs 7500/- (for SC/STs, it would be 50% and Rs 10,000/- respectively. For Self-Help Groups, subsidy would be 50% of the project cost subject to a ceiling of Rs 1.25 lakh. Special emphasis is being laid on skill development of the Swarojgaris through well designed training courses tailored to the activities selected with close attention to technology and marketing needs.

The target for the current financial year 2001-2002

(1) Training 5% Rs 5 lakhs (2) Swarojgaris 3000 Groups (3) Family 1000 Families