MAKE POVERTY HISTORY Through Enterprising Bengal – “HUMAN” Model (Micro Enterprise Cluster Development Programme)
Poverty Eradication Direct Programme An Overview
Bengal, the province, extending from Darjeeling in the lap of Himalayas in the north to Sagar Island at the southern end on the coast of the Bay of Bengal has a unique position on the map of India. She also occupied the top position among the provinces of India in respect of rich heritage and diversity of folk cultures and customs. Bengal gave birth to many illustrious persons and other numerous luminaries who glorified Bengal well as India on the international forum. Bengal also occupied the topmast position in the fields of Trade and Industry. But all those are of the bygone days! Now, the Bengal, reduced in size due to partition and stripped off all her past glories, is gasping for breath under heavy odds. The surrounding eastern regional states, which so long dazzled under the glare of light from Bengal, have also been elbowed into humble positions. Unemployment is the most burning problem of the state of Bengal. This is getting deep-rooted into the society and generally assuming a malignant character creating law and order problems and eating into the very moral and aesthetic values. Unfortunately very little attempts have so far been made to combat this threatening problem since independence. Bengal like all other parts of India is a villages oriented state. About 76% of the population here lives in villages. But, of late, there is a trend among the village people to live their rural hearths and habitations and flock to the cities and towns in search of employment and livelihood. This inflow of large number of people from villages to cities and towns is jeopardizing the economic and social structures of both the rural and the urban areas. It is also revealing the extreme dismal picture of the villages, which it is thus an imperative necessity that special attention and importance must be given towards development of the villages. That’s why if the villages prosper the cities and towns and will also thrive automatically. But the reverse is not true. With the mood of cogitation we have chalked out ‘Bengal Model’ – an all around development programme for the rural Bengal which is as detailed below: Nearly 50 percent of the world's hungry live in India, a low-income, food- deficit country. Around 35 percent of India's population - 350 million - is considered food-insecure, consuming less than 80 percent of minimum energy requirements. Bengal – a State has 19 Districts (Rural & Urban). It has 341 Blocks and within it 3358 Gram Panchayats. If we want to eradicate poverty upto a standard limit, we have to reach deep into the villages and try to solve their problem with the direct involvement of the villagers. So we have tried to come up with this model.
If we can think of one NGO at the Block level i.e., 341 NGOs at different Block of Bengal. This NGO should have its three years registration, three year old Bank Account and three years Audited Balance Sheet. It should have an Executive Body with atleast one-third as female members and all should be have class ten std. education. 60% of the general members should be below the age of 30 years. The NGO should have its own Land and Building and all together the asset value of Rs. 300,000/- (Rupees Three Lakh only). The advisory members should be in such a position that they are either a Primary school teacher or equivalent to that. The NGO to have atleast three salaried staff (part time or full time) of one Science graduate, one Commerce graduate and one general stream graduate. If any NGO can fulfils those criteria, they may be entitled to get a loan of Rs. 25,00,000/= (Rupees Twenty Five Lakh only) under margin money scheme from different Govt. agencies. Our duty is to interact them to build their capacity by various means. Thus those 341 NGOs can give direct employment to approx 86,273 men and women directly and many others indirectly through action programme of Micro Enterprise Cluster Development programme under the framework of Pro-poor Polices. 1 NGO at the Block Level can look after (nurse) 10 NGOs at the Gram Panchayat (just think every Block has 10 Gram Panchayats on an average).
When we talk about 3358 Gram Panchayats in West Bengal, they also should fulfill the criteria set for Block Level NGO but some relaxation has been given for those. In case of salaried staff instead of graduates involved, XII std. pass can be approved. The asset value of Panchayat Level NGO should be atleast Rs.1, 25,000/= (Rupees One Lakh Twenty Five Thousand only). If any NGO fulfill those criteria, they may be entitled to get loan under margin money scheme of Rs. 10,00,000/= (Rupees Ten Lakh only) from different agencies under REGP (Rural Employment Generation Programme). Thus those 3354 NGOs at Panchayat Level can provide direct employment to 3,66,062 men and women and many more indirectly.
Thus the total investment of Rs. 420,65,00,000/= (Rupees Four hundred Twenty Crores and Sixty Five Lakh only) can fetch employment opportunities to 4,52,335 Nos men and women directly and many more will be benefited. If any investor comes to Bengal and invest Rs. 50 Thousand Crores and provide employment to 1 Lakh, whereas the involvement of mere 1% to their investment, we can provide employment to 4.5 times more. Foreign investors will employ very selective candidates whichever they wants to do whereas in our model, we don’t demarcate the sectors from where we select, as it is known “ The Heart of Bengal still lives in Villages”.
HUMAN Network INDIA First Generation Campaigner of Millennium Development Goals, UN Please contact: humanindia@hotmail.com Portal; www.humanindia.org (under construction)
"WE DON’T CREATE JOBS, YES SUSTAINABLE FUTURE"
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