Unfortunately, after functioning effectively through the first year, these entities have been struggling for survival. The ongoing project focuses on selecting eight such LRCs from five districts, namely Srikakulam, Mehboobnagar, Anantpur, Rangareddy and Khamman, and strengthening their overall capacities to implement government promoted livelihood programmes at village level.

The LRCs are being trained through a strong network of resource persons, who would enhance their skills towards livelihood promotion. Each LRC selects two villages and develops an action plan for implementation, which is then submitted to the government for approval.

The key components of the project include:

	Training and capacity building of the LRCs
	Implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) through the LRCs
	An integrated watershed development programme being managed by the LRCs
	Minor irrigation schemes

The project covers about 80 villages, of which 16 would be implementing the various government-supported programmes to be developed as model villages. The seven / eight LRCs would cover about 12,000 households, which would be provided strong capacity building and training inputs towards better livelihood promotion and linkages with government programmes.

Of the 12,000 households, the LRCs would work more rigorously with 2,800 families towards implementation of the different government programmes to enhance the household incomes from the current Rs15,000 per annum to about Rs25,000 per annum. Besides, different livelihood activities would also ensure self-employment opportunities, thereby enhancing income base and food security.