THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Things have not panned out the way it should have been for the much-hyped National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in the state. Result: the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), which metamorphosed into NRLM, would continue in the state this year also. With the UDF Government toying with the idea of accommodating NGOs in the implementation of Centre-sponsored schemes, NRLM could expect stormy days ahead. Though the impression created by the former LDF Government was that the implementation of the NRLM was almost half-way through in the state, documents in possession with ‘Express’ points to the fact that there is a long way to go before the actual implementation happens. The document makes it clear that many factors needed for the transformation into NRLM, as put down in its framework, are yet to be fulfilled. The state is yet to set up an autonomous entity/society in the name of State Rural Livelihood Mission and has not zeroed in on the human resources needed for managing this body. There is a need for deployment of trained staff at district and block-levels for taking up activity in the first phase. Importantly, preparation of State Perspective Poverty Reduction Plan and Action Plan is yet to be done. These plans need the approval of the Ministry of Rural Development before the implementation of NRLM could be realised, the document says. It has been known that the Ministry of Rural Development, in an order dated March 23, had released Rs 1.50 crore to Kudumbashree, which is the nodal agency of NRLM in the state as picked up by the previous LDF Government, for doing the preparatory works. As this was not done, it is learnt that the Centre has allocated the fund under the SGSY for this fiscal year. This would amount to Rs 38.87 crore. According to sources, the Centre has already released 50 percent of the total fund to the Poverty Alleviation Units. Which simply means that the state is to implement SGSY this year and not NRLM. With the trifurcation of the LSG Department giving rebirth to the Rural Development Department, the new developments could be viewed as a declaration by the department that it could not be sidelined anymore. It is reliably learnt that though the senior officials of the LSG Department had wanted the funds for SGSY to be rerouted to NRLM (read Kudumbashree) there are voices of protest in the Rural Development Department. It is also reliably learnt that the new government is not fully convinced about the role of Kudumbashree as a nodal agency for implementing such a prestigious project. However, the department Minister K C Joseph treads a safe path. ‘‘The conversion to NRLM would be quickened, there are some factors which need to be done before it can get rolling,’’ Minister said.
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