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The Eleventh Plan (2007-12) targets a more
vigorous growth within the agricultural
sector, aiming at a higher trajectory of
4 per cent annual growth rate. The challenge,
and perhaps, concern, facing India today
remains its food security, in the wake of
an ever increasing demand from its 350 million
and growing middle class population, constituting
almost 35 per cent of the total population.
Whilst charting its own five-year strategic
plan for the Rural Livelihoods and Communities
(RLC) Portfolio, the Trusts have reflected
upon this backdrop to provide directions
for engagement.
The plan delineates as many as twelve12 'rural
development requirements', as priorities
for the RLC portfolio. These include rural
income generation intervention, rural wage
employment, rural housing, rural social
and food security, need for integrated food-based
intervention, land-reforms and tribal rights
on land, rural drinking water and sanitation,
etc.
Consequently, inclusiveness in growth and
regaining agricultural dynamism would be
maintained as the two pillars of the Trusts'
five-year strategic plan for the portfolio,
as they attempt to synch goals and ideals
with the tenets and national approach of
the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
2007-08 marked the first year of operations
within the Trusts' new five-year strategic
plan for the RLC portfolio. The Trusts hope
that the efforts, albeit in a smaller vein,
would lead to visible impact across the
fields that can be subsequently scaled up
by larger players (for example, the Government).
Whilst continuing their focus on enhancing
rural livelihoods through various regional
initiatives in two broad areas, namely land
and water development, and microfinance,
the Trusts have endeavoured to constantly
draw from the guiding principles mentioned
above in their grant making.
Within each focus area, the Trusts have initiated
a few key initiatives that have improved
the lives of the people, through high-quality
interventions.
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