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The Dera Ghazi Khan Development Projects
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The Dera Ghazi Khan Rural Development
Project (DGK-RDP) was launched by the Government of Punjab in
collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in February 1999. The
Project’s objectives are to increase incomes and employment and to improve
the quality of life in the rural areas of D.G. Khan and Rajanpur Districts
through improving infrastructure and providing financial services.NRSP has
contracted to provide consulting services to the Project for six years,
subject to an external mid-term review to assess performance. NRSP reports
directly to the Project Management Unit (PMU). A Project Director
appointed by the Government of Punjab co-ordinates the implementation of
the Project’s components, including the component for which NRSP is
responsible.
The Project’s main activities are: provision of irrigation water,
rehabilitation and improvement of watercourses, installing deep turbine
tube wells, community development funds for hill torrents, soil and water
conservation, agricultural production, livestock production, community
infrastructure improvements, micro credit and training. NRSP’s partners in
the Project are the Director General of Agricultural Engineering, the
Directorate of On-Farm Water management, the Departments of Irrigation and
Power, Livestock, Communication and Works and Local Government and Rural
Development.
The project is spread over five Tehsils - D.G. Khan, Taunsa, Jampur,
Rajanpur and Rojhan - in south-western Punjab. The programme area includes
canal irrigated and barani areas: in some areas the terrain makes it very
difficult to reach the communities. NRSP has established three Field Unit
offices in each District: these are situated in D.G. Khan, Vahova, Barthi,
Jampur, Rajanpur and Rojhan. According to the District Census Report,
1998, close to 2.75 million people live in the two Districts, 2.28 million
of them in rural areas. The overall literacy rate in D.G. Khan is 30.6%;
that of Rajanpur is only 20.7%.
NRSP is responsible for mobilising members of poor communities in the
project area. NRSP’s major responsibilities are: |
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Eveloping grass roots Savings &
Credit Organisations (SCOs) and COs. |
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Enerating capital through savings. |
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Isbursing micro credit to SCO
members. |
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Building the capacities of community
members and increasing people’s access to the required technologies. |
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Dentifying needs relating to
Community Physical Infrastructure, turbine tube wells and watercourse
development. |
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Establishing strategies for
productive management of natural resources. |
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Membership in a
Savings and Credit Organisation (SCO) enables CO members to
increase their capital for establishing or expanding their
income-generating activities. Credit is mainly being utilised to purchase
livestock, agricultural inputs and machinery and for small enterprises.
The SCO formation target was 1,000, but the achievement was 1,194 SCOs:
797 men’s and 397 women’s. Of the 26,538 micro-credit loans disbursed,
17,475 went to men and 9,063 to women.
Capital Formation is the first step in
a self-reliant development process. The amounts accumulated in the group
savings funds encourage the habit of regular saving. As of June 30, 2003
the total amount saved by SCO members was Rs. 39.0 million against the
target of Rs. 12.0 million. Men’s SCOs have accumulated Rs. 32.4 in
savings; women’s SCOs Rs. 6.6 million. The average amount saved by a men’s
SCO is Rs. 40,711 and that by a women’s SCO is Rs. 16,569. The average
saving per member is Rs. 2,573.
In 2002 Asian Development Bank representatives visited the project area,
talking with CO members, inspecting their on-going work and holding
discussions about NRSP’s approach and methods. CO members have now
developed both initiative and assertiveness as a result of the interaction
with staff of both NRSP & DGK-RDP. In addition, the CO members’ exposure
to experts and other visitors has boosted their confidence and awareness
of their rights.
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