World Bank likely to clear DPIP 2nd phase in MP

Bhopal, Nov 29 (UNI) Prospects of sanctioning the second phase of the district poverty initiative project (DPIP) in Madhya Pradesh have brightened with the World Bank terming the project's implementation ''better than other states''.

World Bank representative Martin Wan Neucoop said he was happy over the report of the independent survey on the implementation of DPIP in Madhya Pradesh and would recommend sanctioning of the second phase for the state.

''Better results are attributable to the training of the groups constituted under the project and the better available resources,'' said Mr Neucoop while reviewing the project's implementation here yesterday.

The project has been implemented in 2,902 villages of 53 blocks in 14 backward districts of Chhatarpur, Damoh, Guna, Narsinghpur, Panna, Rajgarh, Rewa, Raisen, Sidhi, Shajapur, Sagar, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh and Vidisha.

About Rs 430.30 crore have been spent so far under the project launched in 2001 and the total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 521.55 crore, official sources said.

State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who presided over the meeting, said the state government attached priority to poverty alleviation and the Government would be apprised of the good results of the project.

''Procedures and methods applied in the implementation of DPIP would be adopted in other poverty alleviation related projects also,'' he said and hoped that the second phase of the project would be sanctioned and it would be replicated in the entire state.

The report of the independent survey on the project's implementation said the income of 2.94 lakh members of over 50,000 common interest groups in 14 districts had increased by 65 per cent over the last five years.

This income is far more than the income of the villagers who are not members of the groups. The beneficiaries include 14,008 women and 12,590 members of scheduled castes.

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