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Thursday, July 3, 2014

Inter-departmental collaboration to establish quality orchards in Sikkim

Intro: A special feature from the IPR Department, Govt of Sikkim, explains the “convergence” initiative underway in Sikkim
Can we divert the MGNREGA labour force back to the agriculture sector? Can we support the farmers to offset the opportunity costs incurred while establishing long gestation horticulture crops? Can we revive the main cash crops of the Sikkimese economy namely large cardamom, mandarin orange and guava? Can two departments join hands in convergence to create livelihoods assets without having issues of duplicacy, double payment and transparency?
A quiet initiative is underway in the rural areas of the state where two departments have joined hands to make this dream of establishing quality horticulture orchards a reality. Groundwork was carried out over the last 6 months to complete the planning and preparatory activities. The convergence framework between Horticulture and Cash Crop Development Department (HCCD) and the Rural Management and Development Department (RMDD) was approved by the Government in Jan-2014. RMDD took up the function of identification of beneficiaries and location (in gram sabhas), pit digging, planting and maintenance, while HCCD took up the function of providing the plants, bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide and technical support under one of the schemes under MIDH namely Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan states [HMNEH]. Hence, in this convergence model, both the departments combined their strengths in the form of technical expertise of the HCCD and the social mobilization of RMDD.
Special registers and books were printed to keep a detailed record of the plants and inputs received and distributed to the beneficiaries (plants indent book, plants received register, beneficiary plants issue register etc). Electronic Muster Rolls (e-MR) and direct wage payment in the accounts of beneficiaries was ensured. To prevent duplicacy or double payment complimentary financial components were taken up i.e. wage component by RMDD and material component (plants, biofertilizer and biofungicides/ biopesticides) by HCCD. Several State, district and block level meetings were held to ensure seamless integration.
In this convergence model, a total of 2,147 ha of horticulture plantations is underway covering 9000 beneficiaries in which 46 lakh horticulture plants approximately are being planted. A total of 1450 ha large cardamom, 661 ha of mandarin orange and 41 ha of guava plantations are in full swing to be completed by 10 July, 2014. The total joint investment involved is to the tune of Rs14 crore.
This convergence model of Sikkim has been appreciated at the Government of India level as well and the MGNREGA officials from Sikkim have been invited by the north-eastern and Himalayan states to share their expertise. Also, MGNREGA-Sikkim bagged the National Convergence Award from the Ministry of Rural Development in Feb 2014.



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