pri pilot
intervention

The First Steering Committee Meeting at Bonthi

The First Steering Committee Meeting of the ISPWDK PRI Pilot Project was held on 9th June 2005 under the Chairmanship of Mr. Anthony Mendonca, CEO, ZP, BIDAR. The meeting began with the Deputy Secretary, Mr. A.A. Ilkal welcoming all participants. The participants included members from the different Government Departments, Bonthi Grama Panchayat and the SDC/IC-PSMU staff.

Main features of the meeting were:

• Formation of the Steering Committee
• Government Departments' survey
• Appointment of the NGO Drishti
• Planning

The steering committee for the PRI Pilot of the ISPWDK Project for implementing NRM works in Bonthi Gram Panchayat was formally instituted at the first steering committee meeting. This Steering Committee will support, guide the Bonthi Grama Panchayat (GP) and its villages in evolving development and management plans. It will also facilitate and support the processes for the formulation of village specific systems for the governance of natural resources.

The steering committee was constituted with the CEO, ZP (Zilla Panchayat) as the chairperson and the Deputy Secretary as Member Convener. The members for Steering Committee were selected from Bonthi GP, ZP member from Bonthi GP area, SDC/IC & PSMU and various departments at the district level like Agriculture, Forest, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sericulture, and Engineering. Women representation in the committee was also ensured.

A sub-committee of the GP will soon be established with due representation from all the ward sabhas, CBOs/SHGs (Community based organizations/ Self Help Groups) for preparing micro plans for various activities related to development and management of natural resources and livelihood activities to support the poor with the active involvement of all in the ward sabhas, CBOs/SHGs in the GP. The GP and the sub-committees shall carry out the implementation and management of the activities with the necessary support from the Steering Committee, government functionaries from various development departments and PSMU, SDC/IC.

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At the meeting each Government Department presented the outcomes of their survey in Bonthi Gram Panchayat to aid planning of the development of Bonthi Grama Panchayat:

Agriculture: The land of the area is dry with Jowar being the major crop grown and Tur & Blackgram being the other crops. The area has light black cotton soil with little assured irrigation. The agriculture department provides an agriculture kit to farmers. The department will continue to distribute most of the kits in this area, but the meeting decided that the distribution of the kits would be routed through the committee. Sprayers can be supported by the project.

Engineering: For the road, an estimate of Rs. 43 lakhs for 8 kms has been prepared and sanctioned by NABARD. However, the Grama panchayat President requested this activity to be considered as an urgent need. If 200 meters of road are completed, it will vastly improve the access to the area. The estimate for the activity is around Rs. 2 lakhs. After discussions, it was decided that the Gram Panchayat will contribute a sum of Rs. 50,000, and the project will sanction Rs. 1.5 lakhs as a need based activity for the GP. After the survey of the area, check dams, percolation ponds, etc, can be constructed in the area as per the decisions taken in the gram sabha of the village.

Watershed Development: The slope of the land is 5% and more. For arresting the runoff, the project can undertake construction of trenches, nala bunds, and farm ponds. In the higher reaches, the forestry activities can start at the very beginning of the project period.

Forest Department: The area is hilly in nature and Soil and Water conservation works can be undertaken. There are 350 hectares of community land. 150 hectares can be treated through mechanized planting. The planting of fruit yielding trees can be undertaken which can later be handed to the community in the villages. The farmers in the area can be supported through the 22 SHGs by providing them with saplings of teak, badam and other local species. Avenue plantations can be undertaken in the 4 villages and 14 hamlets. Planting in the backyard of the households of this area can be supported.

Animal Husbandry: A total plan for Rs. 60 lakhs for 3 years is being planned as per the survey. Rearing of sheep, goats, poultry, and calves etc. can be started. Training needs to be given on housing the animals, preparing the feed concentrate, etc. 100 members can be provided with 20 poultry birds each. Fodder seeds can also be provided.

Sericulture: There is no potential for Sericulture in Bonthi but in the neighboring villages, there is a possibility to support 5-10 people.

Horticulture: The area is dry. Mango and Amla can be planted. There is little irrigation. Hence investing Rs. 10 lakhs can develop an area of 30 hectares. Backyard horticulture and kitchen garden can be promoted. There is a Government scheme by which the landless can be supported by purchasing land worth 3/5 hectares. There are 25% landless in the area (nearly 150-200 people). For people with smallholdings, support can be provided by digging community wells in their plots as were done successfully in neighboring villages in Maharashtra.

The CEO said that all Government schemes should converge in Bonthi Gram Panchayat to complement the project. This will bring about development in the area.

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The Grama Panchayat members were told that there were tentative ward-wise plans which will be shared with them. For the action plan to emerge ward wise gram sabhas in each village should be held, during which the people can come out with a plan. These plans need to be discussed in the Gram Sabha and presented in the panchayat sub- committee. Subsequently, this plan after getting sanctioned by the sub- committee will be sent to the Programme Steering Committee for approval.

The planning activities will be undertaken in the next quarter. Prior to that the members need to undergo training. For this exposure visits to Panchayats with successful experiences of managing natural resource management projects in Northern Karnataka and Kolar will be undertaken. The members will also visit the project area of the ISPWDK Phase II watersheds.

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Drishti, an NGO working in Bonthi area, was appointed by the steering committee for the initial need based support to the PRI project. The organisation follows a rights based approach and works on land rights, agriculture and with gram panchayats. Swiss NGOs- Hex and Swiss Aid have supported the organization. The NGO was appointed for a period of 3 months. The decision to continue the NGO will be placed before the Grama panchayat after the initial three months.

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