HARELI SAHELI

OBJECTIVES

INDIRA HARELI SAHELI is designed to break the vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation reinforcing each other. The Scheme involves poor families of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, O B Cs and other BPL families in “greening”,   by granting them usufruct rights over trees planted by them under wage employment schemes. Backward and forward linkages are ensured under the scheme

Implementation

l  Twenty Point Committees activated to help Beneficiaries identified by Gram Sabhas

l  On revenue wastelands, lease hold rights granted up to 1 hectare with rights over trees and usufructs. through Certificates from Revenue Authorities u/s 239 of Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code

l  On revenue “forestlands”, agreement signed with beneficiary permitting usufruct rights over trees, felling of trees and benefits from sale of timber would be as per a management plan

l  On revenue forestland, rights over land remains with the State, Land can be used only for plantation and for no other purposes

l   Employment for the Beneficiaries is generated through activities of trenching, fencing, digging pits, nursery, planting, protection etc. This also ensures Beneficiary stake-holding till fruition.

l   Convergence of services, financial and technical assistance from Government Departments of Forests, Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development, and Local Bodies (PRIs)

Monitoring and Evaluation

l    Food Grains under Food for Work programme utilized for wage component. Free supply of plants by Forest Department from its nurseries, involving beneficiaries also

l    Land improvement has been permitted although trees can not be cut or destroyed by Beneficiary with out permission

l    Facilitators identified for each village/plantation area to provide continuing guidance and support as well as to keep vigil against violation of lease terms.

l    Monthly review and monitoring by State Level Coordination Committee under Chief Minister, Implementation Committee under Departmental Officials, Divisional Committees under Commissioners, District Level Committees under Collectors, Sub District Committees as well as the 20 pt.Committees; concurrent evaluation by gram sabhas

l    External Evaluation planned involving CBO/NGO/professional institutions.

Physical Achievements

Saplings Planted

l    Over Revenue Wastelands     =  11.43 lac

l    Over Degraded Forestlands     =   20.00 lac appx.

 l    Total                                               =  31.43 lac appx.

l    Saplings to be planted

    in July-August 2002                = 37.00 lac appx.

     Varieties introduced : mango, berries, tamarind, cashew, jack-fruit, citrus-fruits, cinnamon,guava, arecanut, custard- apple, jamun, tamarind,bamboo, sagon, khamhar etc.

Benefits to weaker sections – all beneficiaries are from BPL families/ landless

Employment Generated

l Plantation : 10,36,871 labour-days

Expenditure : 6331 MT food grains & Rs. 4.14 cr. in cash wages

Linkages

l    Backward Linkages :

l    Tie up with nurseries, New varieties and species being introduced

    –    Technical Assistance and extension services provided

l    Forward Linkages :

    –    Tie up with processing plants (through contracts with food processing and other value addition facilities)

    –    New processing opportunities being explored for tie up

    –    Marketing support through price support to prevent distress sales and institutional support of cooperatives

Constraints and Caveats

l   Timely help and assistance is required in planting

l   Establishing Forward linkages is a slow process and requires care and caution, identifying processing or marketing avenues takes time.

l   Protection and care of plantation is critical, vigil is required

l   Sustaining beneficiary interest till usufruct stage is an even greater challenge.

spin offs

l    I.H.S enabled the State to sustain employment during the period of severe drought and scarcity

l    Chhattisgarh was one of the few States to have utilized the allotment of food grains from GOI under Food for Work programme

l    Land covered under Indira Hareli Saheli being  compensatory afforestation, this enables the State to take up development works for irrigation and communications which are at a stand-still due to the Forests Conservation Act. We have moved the Hon. Supreme Court in this regard.