World Bank to lend $130 million for livelihood programmes in North East

The Government of India and the World Bank today signed an agreement for $130 million in development credit for livelihood programmes in the North East.

The International Development Association (IDA) credit of $130 million will help the government finance programmes to empower rural communities in the growth-deficient North East (NE) region and thereby improve their livelihood opportunities, an official statement said today.

The North East Rural Livelihoods Project (NERLP) will enhance the livelihoods of the rural poor, especially women, unemployed youth and the severely disadvantaged in eight districts of the four participating states - Aizawl and Lunglei in Mizoram; Peren and Tuensang in Nagaland; south, west and 15 panchayat wards of east district in Sikkim; and west and north districts in Tripura.

Despite its rich natural resources and relatively good human development indicators, the North East region lags behind the rest of India in important parameters of growth.

Almost 35 per cent of its predominantly rural population lives below the poverty line; agricultural productivity is low; and high school dropout rates and lack of skills have led to high unemployment among the youth. This low-growth scenario is exacerbated by problems of geographical inaccessibility, protracted insurgency in some areas, and recurring natural disasters.

The government's North Eastern Region (NER) Vision 2020, endorsed by all NE states, envisages using a partnership-approach with relevant stakeholders to make interventions responsive to people's needs and aspirations for a better quality of life.