Now, mini-banks to provide crop loans
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Cooperative Minister Parsadilal Meena has announced simplification of the crop loan disbursement system while authorising cooperative mini-banks to provide these loans to farmers at the village level. Earlier, the farmers had to approach the Central Cooperative Bank’s branches for getting the loans.
Mr. Meena said here that the facility would be available at the mini-banks functioning in 3,341 village cooperative societies in the first phase. The crop loans are being disbursed through over 5,000 village cooperative societies across the State.
The Minister said the State Government had set the target for providing benefit of the cooperative crop loan disbursement system to 8 lakh farmers this year. Crop loans worth Rs.3,300 crore were disbursed in the State during the previous year, he added.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/11/stories/2010051155830300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Australian grant to help eliminate child labour
JAIPUR, India: The Australian Government has announced an Rs.6 lakh grant to the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) to help eliminate child labour. Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese announced the grant on Saturday during a visit to the Bal Ashram, run by BBA in Viratnagar in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Australia’s cricketing legend Adam Gilchrist accompanied him on the visit.
Gilchrist, the captain of the Deccan Chargers IPL team, also launched a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, backed by an Australian company.
The grant, falling under the Human Rights Small Grants Scheme award of the Australian Government, is managed by the Australian Agency for International Development in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. BBA (Save Childhood Movement) has been awarded the grant against stiff competition from over 200 applicants from India. The AUD 149,000 (Rs.6 lakhs approximately) award would be disbursed over two years, a release from the Australian High Commission said.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Varghese applauded the work of the BBA. “The Bachpan Bachao Andolan movement is doing critical work in preventing children from working when they should be at school. I am impressed with the results they have produced in preventing child labour and trafficking. I have been particularly impressed by the long-term approach of BBA in gradually changing the culture and value systems of the communities to ensure that child rights are respected.”
Australian support for the project will raise the awareness of human rights in communities and assist them to improve local governance systems through the creation of 20 “Bal Mitra Grams” or child-friendly villages, in Rajasthan. The scheme has already established more than 250 BMGs in North India. In a BMG, all child labourers are withdrawn from work and enrolled in school. Cchildren also form a “Bal Panchayat” (an elected children’s village council), which is given recognition by the local gram panchayat ensuring that the two councils work together on issues related to children.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041857010900.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
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