Poverty Alleviation Unit

District Rural Development Agency started in 1979 with the aim of control and monitoring of rural development programs was converted to Poverty Alleviation Unit of District Panchayath in 2001. Project Director is the Head of Office. The office functions in District Panchayat Building at Civil station, Kottayam.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pradhan manthri Awaas Yojana, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Sansad Adarsh Grama Yojana and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission are important Schemes monitored from this Office. Besides, Project Director also supervises schemes like Pradhan Manthri Grama Sadak Yojana, Hill Area Development Scheme, Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)

National Employment Guarantee Act came into force in 2005. The scheme began to be implemented in Kottayam District from 2007 onwards. The Scheme aims to provide a maximum 100 days employment in a financial year to rural families having members above 18 years age who are willing to do unskilled labour. The scheme aims to ensure social and economic progress along with nurturing social equality. By ensuring job opportunities and equal wages in rural areas, the scheme aims to achieve a host of objects such as augmentation family income, mitigation of gender discrimination, diminution of urban migration, restoration of ecological balance, prevention of economic exploitation etc.

The Scheme is implemented in Grama Panchayaths under the supervision of Block Programme Officers. There are Accredited Overseers/Engineers and Data Entry Operators at Grama/Block Panchayath levels to assist scheme implementation.

Any adult person who is willing to do unskilled wage employment is eligible to avail job card and become a beneficiary of the scheme.

Contact Details

District Programme Coordinator : District Collector

Joint Programme Coordinatior : Project Director, PAU

Contact No. : 0481 2300430

E-mail : drdakottayam@gmail[dot]com

MGNREGS related Websites:

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of India: https://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Kerala: https://www.nregs.kerala.gov.in/

Pradhan Manthri Awaas Yojana (Grameen) (PMAY(G))

Pradhan manthri Awaas Yojana (Grameen) is an ambitious scheme by Government of India whish targets to build 1 Crore houses for the rural poor within a period 2016-17 to 2018-19. Beneficiaries of the scheme were selected from the identified houseless families in Socio Economic Caste Census 2011. Central and State Governments share the assistance in 60:40 ratio. Unit cost of dwelling house is 1.20 Lakhs in plains and 1.30 Lakhs in hilly difficult areas. In addition to this, the local self governments also contribute to this scheme to make unit cost as Rs. 4.00 Lakhs for General and Actual Cost for SC/ST. Besides, PMAY(G) is linked to MGNREGS inorder to avail 90 persondays labour for house construction for free.
As per the norms of LIFE, unit cost has been revised as 4,00,000/- for General / SC Categories and actual unit cost recommended by Third Party Technical Agency for ST. The amount over and above Central/State assistance is to be borne by the LSGIs from their plan fund.
Selected beneficiaries have to execute agreement before Block Panchayath Secretary.

PMAY(G) related Websites:

Pradhan Manthri Awaas Yojana (Grameen) (PMAY(G)), Government of India: https://pmayg.nic.in/netiay/home.aspx
LIFE Mission, Government of Kerala: https://lifemission.kerala.gov.in/

Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) / Pradhan Manthri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Watershed Component

Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) is a centrally sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Land Resources, Department of Rural Development, Government of India. The Scheme is being implemented by Block Panchayaths with the active cooperation of Grama Panchayaths. The main objective of IWMP project is judicious utilization of every drop of rainwater received, for domestic consumption, agriculture, horticulture, livestock rearing etc thereby attaining self sufficiency in drinking water, increase in employment opportunities, increase the standard of living etc. A holistic approach is envisaged in this programme. Unlike other watershed development projects here there is space for providing assistance to livelihood activities, assistance for enhancing production system and also provision for microenterprises.
The project area is a cluster of micro watersheds with an area of 1000 to 5000ha rather than individual micro watersheds. There would be dedicated implementing agencies with multi-disciplinary professional teams at the national, state and district level for managing the watershed programmes.
From 2017 onwards, IWMP has been restructured as Pradhan Manthri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Watershed Component.

Pradhan Manthri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) related Websites:

Pradhan Manthri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Government of India: https://pmksy.gov.in/

Sansad Adarsh Grama Yojana (SAGY)

Under this scheme, each member of parliament needs to choose one village each from the constituency that they represent and fix parameters and make it a model village by 2019. Villages will be offered smart schools, universal access to basic health facilities and Pucca housing to homeless villagers. The programme was launched on the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, on 11 October 2014. Second phase of the Scheme started in 2016.
No new funds are allocated to this Yojana and funds may be raised through Funds from existing schemes, such as the Indira Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and Backward Regions Grant Fund, MPLADS, Àram panchayat’s own revenue,Central and State Finance Commission Grants, and Corporate Social Responsibility funds.

Sansad Adarsh Grama Yojana (SAGY) related Websites:

Sansad Adarsh Grama Yojana (SAGY), Government of India: http://saanjhi.gov.in/

The National Rurban Mission (NRuM)

The National Rurban Mission (NRuM) follows the vision of “Development of a cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of “Rurban Villages”.The objective of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters.The larger outcomes envisaged under this Mission are: i. Bridging the rural-urban divide-viz: economic, technological and those related to facilities and services. ii. Stimulating local economic development with emphasis on reduction of poverty and unemployment in rural areas. iii. Spreading development in the region. iv. Attracting investment in rural areas.Edappal Vattamkulan Cluster in Ponnani Block and and Tanalur-Niramaruthur Cluster in Tanur Back have been selected from Malappuram District in Phase 1 and 2 respectively.

The National Rurban Mission (NRuM) related Websites:

The National Rurban Mission (NRuM), Government of India: https://rurban.gov.in/