OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE BIRBHUM DISTRICT

DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT CELL

| Organization Structure  | |Activities | Projects Running  | Success Stories | REGP Scheme | Crafts in Birbhum  |Contact Details|

District Rural Development Cell - Birbhum

           A District Rural Development Agency was initially set up for Birbhum during the  year1982 DRDA was merged with the Zilla Parishad from April, 2000. Henceforth it has   been functioning as District Rural Development Cell under the Zilla Parishad

          DRDA has traditionally been the principal organ at the district level to oversee the implementation of anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development. This agency was created originally to implement the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). Subsequently the DRDAs were entrusted with number of programmes of both state and central governments. 

Role of DRDA

I. Principal facilitators for drawing of Plan and Programmes.

II. Allocates funds, Maintains accounts and collects Utilisation Certificates.

III. Co-ordinates Executive Agencies, financial institutions, NGOs, Government and Panchayati Raj Institutions at different levels.

IV. Supervises and monitors various programmes implemented in the field.

V. Ensures successful implementation of the programmes.

VI. Keeps inform Zilla-Parishad and Government through reports and returns.

VII. Creates awareness and transparency amongst the common people.

VIII. Safe guards the interest of SC/ST. Women and Physically  

Staff pattern  

Project Director, DRDA is the head of the office and under him there are officers namely Dy.Project Director (Monitoring), Dy.Project Director (Agri.), Dy.Project Director (Credit), Asstt.Superintendent of live Stock  (Animal Resource Development Dept.),The officers look after the various cells pertaining to their department. All the officers are deputed to DRDA from the various Govt. line departments

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            Organizational Structure

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Activities in Brief

Developmental Activities:

               DRDC Birbhum is now on the truck of implementation of SGSY schemes to bring- every assisted family above the poverty line within three years through provisions of micro-enterprises. Formation of “ Self Help Group” an organisation of the poor at grassroots level through a process of social mobilisation for poverty eradication is the present vital task of DRDC . Inductions are spontaneously made for formation , development , and strengthening of the groups those are involved into self-managed peoples organisation . For developing managerial skills for management of the organisations as well as activity, DRDC has been regularly arranging need based trainings in every spheres .Formation of capital through revolving fund and its utilisation, taking up of economic activities and funding there off are used to be monitored as well . Infrastructures for the SHGs beneficiaries are provided according to need. 

To promote the activities of Swarojgaries DRDC Birbhum has taken up following few productive,viable schemes.

Few  SHGs  are involved in Poultry with Arambag Hatcheries Ltd. through MOU.
Special Projects which are implementing  by NIFT for advanced value addition training with marketing facility for two thousand SHG members are taken up. 
Common Facility Centre at Bolpur Goalpara for Federation Members has been constructed where sale counters and women co-operative will be housed.
Rural Business Hubs at different Tourist Spots in the District are going to be constructed for selling products of SHGs.
DRDC has been regularly participating in different Melas both in the State and outside with SHG members/artisans for providing market facility to rural women.
Members of DTA are being utilized in Sensitisation and Training for making link network with the SHGs .
Cluster Formation through Gram Panchayet as Nodal Unit is going on.
Procurement of paddy from SHGs through BENFED has been started.
CADC is being utilized in capacity building and MSR Training.
Special attention for forming SHGs at all backward villages through direct supervision of the Gram Panchayet and Blocks are taken up.

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Projects Running

Important projects 

1) SGSY(Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana)

2) Integrated Wasteland Development Project  

Swarnajayanti Gramya Swarojagar Yojana (SGSY)

          The SGSY self employment programme has been launched by Government of India w.e.f. 1.4.1999 with a holistic approach by replacing schemes like Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP), Trainign for Rural Youth and Self Employment Programme (TRYSEM), DWCRA, Supply of Improved Toolkit to Rural Artisans (SITRA), MWS and Gramya Krushi Yojana etc.  

Objective

i) Development of Micro-entrepreneurs by utilizing resource and services available in rural area.

ii) Formation of Self Help Groups (SHG) and User Groups (UG) to increase efficiency and self sufficiency.

iii) Adoption of Key activities.

iv) Development of rural technology.  

Beneficiary

BPL families are targeted people to be eligible to get this opportunity. The beneficiary is named as Swarojagary (self earning person) and Self help group(SHG)

Self-Help Group :     

 A Self- Help Group (SHG) may generally consist of 10-20 persons. However, in difficult areas like deserts, hills and areas with scattered and sparse population and in case of minor irrigation and disabled persons, this number may be from 5.20. The difficult areas have to be identified by the state level SGSY Committee.

Compositions of the Self-Help Group :

Generally all members of the Group should belong to families below the poverty. However, if necessary, a maximum of 20%, and in exceptional cases, where essencially required, upto a maximum of 30% of the members in a Group may be from families marginally above the poverty line, living continuosly with BPL families and if they are acceptable to BPL members of the Group. The APL members of Group will not be eligible for subsidy undetr the scheme and shall not become office bearers( Group leader, assistant group leader or treasurer ) of the group. The BPL families must actively particpate in the management and decision making which should not be entirely in the hands of APL families.

           In case of disabled persons a group may compries of persons with diverse disabilities or group may comprise of both disabled and non-disabled persons below the poverty line. 

Aim

i) Upliftment of BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in rural areas.

ii) To assist under bank credit and Government Subsidy.

iii) Each Swarojagary would get Rs.2000/- PM. After repayment of Bank loan.  

 Government Assistance

          There is no limit of loan amount but certain limitations are provided for Government assistance . The subsidy amount may be allowed only after full payment of bank loan. The following are the criteria for subsidy:

(1) For SC/ST Swarojagary:- 50% or Rs.10,000/- of loan amount which ever is less.

(2) For general Swarojagary:- 30% or Rs.7500/- of loan amount which ever is less.

(3) In case of SHG 50% or Rs.1,25,000/- of loan amount which ever is less.

(4) There is no limit in case of Irrigation sector in respect of Group finance.

 

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Success Stories

Sr. No.

                                              Description

1.

Srijani Swanirvar Dal.

Vill.Surul Po. Sriniketan Birbhum

Group Leader- Maya Mukherjee

Total Members – 11

Bank- MGB- Sriniketan

This is a DWCRA converted SHG . Most of the members of this group were of very poor family who had to face sever torchering . However after being grouped they started working Kathastitch after taking training  in arrangement of DRDC , Birbhum in the year 2001. NIFT had provided advanced value-added training in collaboration with the DRDC , Birbhum. In the year 2002 and in 2003-04 MGB Sriniketan Branch provided loan about 2.64 lacs infavour of this group . DRDC extended necessary help both in training infrastructure and in funding. It is pleasure to record here that this groups has now achieved the status of Micro enter prise with  40 – 45 lacs of annual  transaction against very us products like Katntha Stitch Sharee, Punjabi, Churidar, Blouse, Tops, etc. Hope that this group will be an example for all SHGs which are knocking at the door of success.

2.

Sajer Alo

Bansanka Suri-II

Total Members-10

Under SGSY Sajer Alo Swanirvar Dal of Bansanka started rearing of Chicks in recent past. A Poultry Scheme was sanctioned in favour of this group in the year 2003 . About Rs 239700 was provided to this group  as schematic loan .In each phase 2000 chicks are reared by 10 membered group and earned about  Rs 22000 after 45 days. This group has now owned a good rearing house with a remarkable amount of bank balances .This SHG is an example of success .

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Name of the Group: Abhyarthana S.H.G.

Name of the Block: Rampurhat-II

Dist.Birbhum,West Bengal 

Rampurhat-II block on the northeastern edge of the district has a large conglomeration of landless poor, many of them, both men & women, migrating to neighboring districts even for mere subsistence. As a way out of misery thirteen women (4 of them of the S.C community) came together as a group under DWCRA in 1997. They called themselves “Abhyarthana” literally meaning “reception”. 

Despite acute poverty (average monthly income Rs.350/-) and all the ills that go with it, the group, helped by the D.R..A, held meetings, participated in immunization programmes and blood-donation camps. These social roles, taken up eagerly as suggested from the D.R.D.A, gave it a common purpose that held the group securely securely together. Savings, though in tiny drops to start with, were regular. With generous help from a local banker they managed to keep their books in order and repay small sums loaned from their own savings to meet usual exigencies.  

Records being such, the 1st doze of revolving fund was not late in coming and with it the group moved into the silk-reeling trade not unknown in the area. The D.R.D.A arranged a brief training and the group embarked upon a productive phase and with some market information imparted by the D.R.D.A form time to time did enough business to earn the 2nd R.F by the end of ’98. 

Then, however, problems presented themselves. Raw materials from Govt. sources were economical but their supplies were irregular. Bought from the market, these were expensive. Costs climbed and markets shrank. The women struggled valiantly but it was hard. Meanwhile DECRA as a scheme was at an end. 

The group was converted in mid 2000 to S.G.S.Y specifications. Restructuring was not exactly smooth but with guidance from D.R.D.A and the block it was successfully effected. Silk reeling as an activity continued. By early 2001 the members had under the new S.G.S.Y dispensation recovered their average incomes from Rs.600 to Rs.1100 but were stuck there for want of capital. 

After consultation with Union Bank of India, Vishnupur Branch loan linkage was decided upon as also inclusion of weaving (along with reeling) as an activity meant to add value to the Groups’ products.  

On the basis of the scheme prepared with the help of district unit of the Sericulture Directorate, Rs.165000/-  were sanctioned in favour of the Group in Feb’2001. This was immediately followed by an intensive training that coupled weaving with reeling.

The group now has for more than a year been turning out and selling silk both at the local market and to large stockiest in the adjoining district of Murshidabad, well known for its silk-products. The average income of group members now is about Rs.5400/-. Of late the Handloom Deptt trained the group leader and another member in Design Development at a programme in Bolpur. The S.H.G. now looks confidently ahead into the near future in which they are set to sell designed silk in response to market demand and augment their incomes leading to altogether richer and happier lives. 

Their homes and families now have begun to reflect the change. Obviously, for the members of the S.H.G life looks brighter. 

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Planning for implementation of R.E.G.P. Scheme

SURI  :  BIRBHUM

Level

Type

Participants

Contents

Resources persons

Responsibility

 

Remarks

District

One day workshop 2-3 hours

Dist level line Dept. officials

Dist level officials

Z.P. Members

KVK,CADC,DRDC

S.D.Os

Individually

Gen, Facetures of Act & schemes Task of Dist Level tech. officers & other persons.

Adoption of existing schemes   

P & RD Trained officials of dist including ADPC

D.M

 

DPC

Hand out on  acts & schemes in Bengali for circulation (P&RD)

A note on task of dist level officials to be provided from P & RD Dept.

Dist

One day 5 hours.

Training of trainers

( Nodal Resource team)

Detail of Act & schemes

How to conduct G.P level trg  contents of that trg to be discussed

Schedule fixing contents & methodology of trg of GUS

Dist level officials & individuals who Can act as trainer after warts

ADM(D), SDO’s

Those who trained at SIPRD

 

 Hand only outs for G.P & GUS

Case studies ( Dist specific

   

Level

Type

Participants

Contents

Resources persons

Responsibility

 

Remarks

Sub Div.

One day

5 hours

Workshop cum-training

B.D.O Jt. B.D.O, SAE, Extn, Officer

Sabhapati, Karmadhyaksha of P.S, E.A, N.G.O. and others

General  features of Acts & schemes
How to identify labours resources 
How to identify schemes
sustainability of schemes
Organizational linkage (Watershed etc)
Implementation procedure
Adoption of existing schemes
Monitoring
How to prepare action plan  

Trainers Team + Dist team

B.D.O.

Hand out

Case study

Films etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level

Type

Participants

Contents

Resources persons

Responsibility

 

Remarks

Block/ P.S

One day workshop

 6 hours

P.S. Members

Prodhans

E.A

Block level officials

Cluster/SHG members

Individuals

How to estimate nos of house hold wasting Job

How to identify schemes

Contents of GUS trg./ G.P trg.

Monitoring

Organizational linkage for sustainability of schemes

Special inter

Vent ion  for backward areas.

How to prepare action plan with time frame

Block level Extra Officers

B.D.O.

Dist. Team

B.D.O

Format for identification of schemes exlabours for GUS

Format for identification of work

Case stand as.

 

 

Level

Type

Participants

Contents

Resources persons

Responsibility

 

Remarks

G.P.

One day

 

6 hours

G.P. members

G.P. Staff

2 person from each GUS

SHG Leaders

KPS/LDA

NGO

V.W

SRD team

Contents of GUS trg.

Status survey

Identification of sustainable works

Problem of present works

Organisational aspects of the work

Monitoring

Social audit & transparency

Publicity

How to prepare action plan

Task 

Block Level Team

B.D.O.

1.Hand outs for GUS

2. Some format

 ( annexure)

3. Good case study

 

Level

Type

Participants

Contents

Resources persons

Responsibility

 

Remarks

GUS

One day

 

5-6 hours

GUS members SHG leaders, Individuals

  1. Identification/ estimation of probable Mondays
  2. Identification of Work
  3. Identification of supports to be needed
  4. Nature of work that can be done
  5. How to prepare action plan

Block / G.P. Level resources team

G.P.

* Hand out

*Appl. format

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Crafts in Birbhum
      Kantha Stitch    Batik    Solapith     Leather    Macrame  Pottery & Terracotta  Woodcarving 
      Textile  Jute Works    Bamboo & Cane Craft    Metal Works   Tribal Crafts 
 

Contact Details
 

THE PROJECT DIRECTOR
DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT CELL
 BIRBHUM ZILLA PARISHAD
SURI, BIRBHUM
TEL : 03462-255307/255377
E-MAIL : pddrdc-bir@nic.in,pddrdc_bir@rediffmail.com

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 Birbhum  District Centre, New Administrative Building, Suri, Birbhum-731101,
 West Bengal , India. Telephone No: 03462 255032