A state supposedly meant for tribals, by tribals and of tribals, is today showing record poverty levels among the tribals who make up one-third of the state’s population. While the state’s per capita income increased by 14 percent during 2012-2017, a higher percentage of people are now below the poverty line, with most of the new additions to this group hailing from the tribal communities, even as scheme after the scheme is rolled out by the government supposedly for their benefit.
After a decade of status quo poverty started declining in the state post-2005. The pace of poverty reduction however has been slower than in other low-income states.
RCFI started its operation during 2018 through its education and cultural rehabilitation team and able to complete three major projects so far. The major highlights are as follows.
Chhattisgarh
Programme Highlights
- Two cultural centers have been constructed in Darregate and Sawarsi districts. The center can be used for education, training, and socio-cultural activities.
- 600 households can use the facility for their interactions and gatherings.
- One orphanage has constructed in Bilaspur district. 60 orphans get education from the center at a time.
- Feed the poor campaign was one of the other activities where 1000s of people received food kits in different occasions.
- Livelihood activities were another priority in the state. Hundreds of people benefited from various Income Generating Activity (IGA) so far which includes rickshaws, Petti shops, individual home-based activities, etc.
- Different types relief works also done in the state like winter dress distribution, blankets, tents and also conducted feed the poor campaigns in the state at various times.
Madhya Pradesh
‘Centrally located, Madhya Pradesh (MP) is also known as the heart of India. Spread across an area of 308,000 sq km, MP is the second largest state of the country and ninth largest economy in India. On the other hand, the state’s performance on basic human development indicators and other developmental indicators is not impressive, and many a times fall far below the set standards or national average. Which includes health and nutrition specifically for women and children, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, housing and availability of electricity, financial inclusion of marginalised sections and productivity of agricultural crops and high poverty ratio’ (Madhya Pradesh Development Report, Planning Commission, 2011).
RCFI initiated work in MP (mostly on western Madhya Pradesh) in 2012 and currently has its presence in 118 villages of 14 districts. The focus of the MP programme intended to support people in education, health, drinking water, and emergency assistance. Several local COSs has been tied up with RCFI for expediting the reach to the unreached.
Programme Highlights
- Three group drinking water shames installed in Indore where 30 HHs now connected to the same.
- A community drinking water project has been completed in which 150 HHs are linked to the scheme through the pipeline. Another similar scheme is about to start.
- Seven school building has been constructed in various part of the state. Each school can accompany 120 students at a time. A total of 840 students can use the facility.
- RCFI Has adopted 180 students of MP who are financially backward to meet their living and education expenditure.
- 21 cultural center has been constructed in the area. 1680 HHs can use the same at a time.