30% Scheme Funds being Allocated for Development of Women Farmers: Shri Pawar Consultative Committee on Agriculture meets

Press Information Bureau: Nov 01, 2012Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Shri Sharad Pawar today informed Members of Parliament that “in order to ensure that funds get adequately devolved for women specific needs, 30% funds are being allocated for development of women farmers under various schemes/programmes with a focus on formation of Women Self Help Groups.”

Speaking at the Meeting of the Consultative Committee on “Women in Agriculture”, he expressed that rural women play a pivotal role in the entire gamut of agricultural operations ranging from land preparation to post-harvesting operations. He said, “Their access to productive assets like seed, water, credit, subsidy needs to be enhanced. Women are often not recognized as farmers for want of ownership of land and are not considered as beneficiaries under various government programmes / services. Due to wage differentials between men and women in some parts of the country, the situation gets further aggravated.”

He elaborated on the steps taken by the Ministry of Agriculture to improve the lot of women farmers and said, “Currently, there are number of schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, wherein there is a provision for women-specific activities. These include Gramin Bhandaran Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, ATMA Scheme, National Food Security Mission National Horticulture Mission etc.”

Shri Pawar stated that various Ministries in the Government have been working towards empowering women farmers and efforts are being to bring about convergence and synergy. Developing gender disaggregated data and gender budgeting are other key activities which have been taken up to bridge gender inequalities.

The meeting was attended by Ministers of State for Agriculture and FPI, Shri Charan Das Mahant and Shri Tariq Anwar and other members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The members who attended the meeting were: S/Shri A.Ganeshamurthi, Sharief-ud-din Sharif, Dhruva Narayana Rangaswamy, M. Krishnaswamy, K. Sugumar, K.P. Dhanapalan, Gobinda Chandra Naskar, Sardar Sher Singh Ghubaya, Kunvarjibhai Bavalia, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Dr. K.P. Ramalingam, Smt. Mohsina Kidwai, Renubala Pradhan and special invitee Smt. Santosh Chowdhary.

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Third Phase of Small Development Projects (SDP-III) in Afghanistan

Press Information Bureau: Nov 08, 2012The Union Cabinet today approved the third phase of the Small Development Projects in Afghanistan. The outlay on the third phase of the Small Development Projects in US$ 100 million.

The outlay for the third Phase of the Small Developmental Projects is US$ 100 Million (approximately Rs.500 crore).

The Small Development Projects directly impact local communities and support social-economic development, provide livelihood, help conserve environmental and cultural heritage, empower women, promote child welfare and facilitate community life through creation of infrastructure in the education, health, agriculture and agro-industry, renewable energy, trade, transport and communication, recreation and community development sectors.

Local communities of Afghanistan would directly benefit from the Small Development Projects. Exact number of beneficiaries cannot be verified. This will cover all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The Small Development Projects were earlier implemented in two phases: the first in July 2006 comprising 50 projects worth US$ 11,216,179; and the second in June 2008 comprising 51 projects worth US$ 8,579,537. Most of the projects in the two phases have been completed

Background:The projects will be implemented over a period of four years through local Afghan Government Bodies, Community Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Charitable Trusts and Education and Vocational Institutions. The expenditure on the projects will be met from the Non-Plan head of 'Aid to Afghanistan’ budget of the Ministry of External Affairs.

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