Report of the Select
Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs on the International study tour to
the
1. Introduction and
background
1.1. The Select Committee on Land and Environmental
Affairs undertook an International Study Tour to
1.2. The aim and
objective of the visit was to meet with the relevant government Departments
responsible for addressing the issue of climate change, rural development, and
food security with an emphasis on rural communities.
1.3. The Committee
wished to observe how a developing country like
1.4. The visit to
Other stakeholders
that the delegation interacted with were the Secretary General of the Afro –
Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) and officials, who gave the
Committee a briefing on the organization, its activities, collaborative
partnerships and projects.
1.5. The second stage
of the trip was undertaken in the city of
1.6. The delegation
also visited the
2. Meetings held in
2.1. Parliamentary meeting with the Standing Committee
on Rural Development
2.1.1. During this
meeting the Chairperson of the Standing Committee briefly explained the structure
of the Indian Parliament stating that it comprises of two houses, the Rajah
Sabah and Loch Sabah. The Standing Committee was constituted from members from
various parties and the primary function of the committee was to scrutinize
budgets, oversee programmes and projects pertaining to their portfolio and
advise the Indian Parliament accordingly.
2.1.2. The
Chairperson of the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs gave a
brief presentation on the objective of the visit of the South African
parliamentary committee and the role of the National Council of Provinces in
the South African context.
2.1.3 The two
Committees exchanged views on the empowerment of indivuals living in rural areas;
land claims issues and the dissemination of information in light of the many
languages spoken in
2.1.4. It was the
opinion of both Committees that a closer working relationship should be
established between the two countries and other countries such as
2.2. Meeting with Afro – Asian Rural Development
Organisation (AARDO)
2.2.1. The
delegation met with the Secretary General of AARDO, Dr Abdalla Yahia Adam who briefed
the Committee on the organisation and its mandate and achievements.
2.2.2. Dr A Y Adam further
explained that the organisation was formed in 1962 as an autonomous
inter-governmental organisation comprising of thirty member countries from
Africa and
2.2.3. The
organization functions to facilitate agricultural and rural development in
African and Asian member countries by providing the funding to promote these
projects.
2.2.4. The
delegation raised issues around monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the
projects and management of the funding allocated to the projects as well the
criteria used for selection of projects.
2.2.5. It was
further noted that the main objective of AARDO is (i) to act as a catalyst in
the Afro – Asian region for promoting social change and develop cooperation
amongst member countries; (ii) provided assistance in evolving an integrated approach
which is conceived to be the crucial pre-requisite in rural settings of Asia
and Africa; (iii) to facilitate exchange of propositions which have proved
successful in the field of rural development and the flow of technical
assistance amongst member countries; (iv) to provide direction and take up
relevant pilot work to demonstrate the
feasibility of selected propositions.
2.2.6. The
organization further functions to:
§ develop an understanding
amongst members for better understanding of common problems or challenges and
to explore opportunities for collaboration of efforts for sustainable
agricultural and rural development;
§ collaborate with
the appropriate international and regional organizations, including UN
agencies, the national bodies, governmental or non-governmental, both in the
developed and developing countries, for purposes of taking action to accelerate
agriculture and rural development in the member countries;
§ hold international
and regional conferences, seminars, workshops and meetings to facilitate
exchange of ideas and experiences among the member countries and to identify
new areas of collaboration;
§ organize and
facilitate the conduct of international, regional and in-country training
programmes to strengthen the institutional capacity of Afro-Asian member
countries in sustainable agriculture and rural development and promote
networking among these countries through exchange of views, experiences and
good practices;
§ initiate research
and action research studies of specific or common interest and disseminate
disaggregated data/statistics and information to member countries;
§ provide technical
and financial support to member countries to undertake pilot projects for experimentation
and replication;
§ serve as a
clearinghouse and data bank for communication and information on agriculture
and rural development and promote dissemination of such information through
multi-media approach; and
§ pursue
environmental and climatic changes in the context of rural development.
2.3 Meeting with the Union
Minister of State for Rural Development –
2.3.1. During the
delegations interactions with the Minister, Mr Pradeep Jain Aditya, issues
pertaining to projects currently being run by the government to address the
issue of rural development and specifically the national rural development employment guarantee scheme were discussed.
2.3.2. Members of
the delegation discussed the sustainability and implementation of the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee programme and raised the following questions;
(i) what types of
unskilled work qualifies under the scheme? (ii) is the programme sustainable in
the long run? (iii) what happens once the worker has completed the allocated
100 days? (iv) what is being done to stop the migration of people from the
rural areas to urban areas? (v) what is being offered in terms skills
development to the rural communities,? (vi) was genetically modified(GM) crops
grown in
2.3.3. In response
the Secretary of State: Rural Development (Mr B.K Sinha) stated that
sustainable agriculture was the main focus of the governments plan. Sustainable
agriculture also looked at more organic and environmentally friendly ways of
farming. The government has also started to introduce technology and more
effective and efficient farming methods in rural areas in an attempt to prove
that one does not have to migrate to urban areas in order to provide for one’s
family.
2.3.4. To further
address the issue of rural development and sustainable agriculture the
government guaranteed 100 days work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which could be extended to a further 100
days according to the availability of work in a particular area.
2.3.5. The aim of
the programme was to show rural farmers that farming can become profitable if
done properly, such as by employing proper irrigation methods compared to
“flooding” when growing rice crops, for example. This way water can be used
sparingly and so that others may also benefit from the scarce commodity. By
using these new techniques and the MGNREGA, the local communities benefit from
technology transfer whilst creating jobs for the unemployed.
2.3.6. According to
the information presented the MGNREGA scheme provides a safety net for the
rural poor and has, since it’s implementation been well received in many rural
communities. This programme is also demand driven but can be accessed by all
unemployed persons wanting to participate and is implemented by the local
authorites. People living below the poverty line are targeted and skills are
imparted according to the needs of the area.
2.3.7. The
programme has produced laborers that can now work in commercial farms,
following the skills gained during the programme.
2.3.8. In response
to the question concerning the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s),
the Ministry stated that they were not for or against the use of GMO’s as their
preliminary research was as yet inconclusive. However, for now, only
traditional seeds are used and supplied to farmers in rural areas.
3. Meetings held in
3.1 Meeting with officials
from the National Institute of Rural Development
3.1.1. The delegation was met by the Director – General (DG) of the
institution, Mr M C Kunnumkal who facilitated
introductions and welcomed the delegation. Mr Kunnumkal proceeded to give the
delegation a brief background of the institution by means of a short film
followed by a verbal presentation.
3.1.2. Mr M C Kunnumkal conveyed that the
primary aim of the NRID was to examine and
analyse the factors contributing to the improvement of economic and social
well-being of people in rural areas on a sustainable basis with focus on the
rural poor and the other disadvantaged groups. The institution is primarily responsible for undertaking training,
research, action research and consultancy assignments in the rural development
sector in
3.1.3. The
Institute is located in the rural surroundings of Rajendranagar, in the city of
3.1.4. The DG then made
a presentation to the delegation elaborating on the mandate of the Institute. The
vision of NIRD is to focus on the policies and programmes that benefit the
rural poor, strive to energize the democratic decentralization
process, improve the operational efficiency of rural development personnel and promote
transfer of technology through its social laboratories and
3.1.5. The mission of NIRD is to examine and analyse the factors
contributing to the improvement of economic and social well-being of people in
rural areas on a sustainable basis with focus on the rural poor and the other
disadvantaged groups through research, action research and consultancy efforts.
To facilitate the rural development efforts with particular emphasis and focus
on the rural poor by improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of rural
development officials and non-officials through organising training, workshops
and seminars
3.1.6.The main objective of NIRD is to organise training programmes, conferences,
seminars and workshops for senior development executives; (2) undertake, aid,
promote and coordinate research on it’s own or through other agencies; (3)
analyze and find solutions to problems encountered in planning and
implementation of the programmes for rural development, decentralized
governance or panchayati raj[1] ,
and related issues; and (4) disseminate information through periodicals,
reports and other publications in furtherance of the basic objectives of
the Institute.
3.1.7. The DG and each of the division heads then
facilitated a discussion session with the members of the delegation, .on the
implementation of rural development programs in
3.1.8. As part of the visit to the Institution the delegation undertook a
field visit to the
3.1.9 The transfer of technology takes place through the assistance of self help
groups, individuals visiting the park on behalf of other rural villages,
consultants from the institution visiting rural communities and visiting
delegations who take back to their respective countries knowledge gained from
visiting the park. Technologies used at the park include rural sanitation
models; water harvesting for hot humid terrain; solar energy harvesting and
usage.
3.1.10. The park
also boasts a number of rural enterprises and business ventures such as
recycled hand made paper; dyeing using natural products; honey processing; bio
technology; as well as garment and pattern making.
3.2. Meeting
with officials from the National
3.2.1. The delegation was met by the Director of the institution, Dr PK Joshi
who introduced the delegation to officials from the institution. Dr Joshi gave
the delegation a brief background of the institution and the aims and
objectives of the institution.
3.2.2. The institution was established by the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) at
3.2.3.,This
role later diversified to include research, capacity building of professionals
in agricultural research, education management, as well as policy and
consultancy support to research institutions. Recently the Academy has set up
post graduate education programmes and an Agribusiness Knowledge Centre. The scope of functions of the institution has been further
enhanced with the introduction of tailor-made training programmes for
international developing countries, such Asia, Africa and
3.2.4. The primary role of
the institute is to ensure agricultural development and training within the
stakeholders in the sector and to:
§ impart
agricultural management education;
§ enhance
the teaching-learning effectiveness through proper management of agricultural
education;
§ plan
and organize need-based, multi-tier, stakeholder-driven and customized
on-campus and off-campus training programmes;
§ facilitate
knowledge and technology dissemination management through innovative use of Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs);
§ undertake
research on agricultural and technology management, and address emerging
concerns in agriculture;
§ offer
consultancy and manage dialogues to backstop training and to provide policy
support to NAS;
§ develop
suitable management tools, practices and processes for facilitating
organizational effectiveness;
§ assemble
quality resource material and function as a resource center of information and
knowledge;
§ promote
work culture for fostering creativity and innovativeness;
§ enhance
administrative and financial management in the system;
§ forge
and strengthen partnerships, linkages and networking at regional, national and
global levels; and
§ take up
other related activities for fulfilling the mandate.
3.2.5. Most academics that complete their
Masters Degrees and wish to continue their studies in the field of agricultural
research approach the National Academy of Agricultural
Research Management to further training. The
institution has to dated trained approximately 30 000 individuals and has
extended an offer to award scholarships to students from
3.2.6. During the discussions with the
delegation, the members once again raided the issue of GM crops and Dr Joshi
re-iterated that the institution was not totally apposed to the use of GMO;s as
they have already used this in cotton crops, with resounding success. They are
also looking at using GMO’s in other crops, but have been asked by the Indian
government to hold off using GMO’s in anything other than cotton harvesting as
the GMO tests have proven to be inconclusive thus far.
3.3. Meeting with officials from the Swamy Ramananda Tirtha Rural Institute (SRTRI)
3.3.1 The delegation was welcomed by
the Chairman of the institution, Dr MS Reddy who introduced the officials
present. The Chairperson, Mrs Qikani, then made a presentation on the objective
of the study tour and raised issues for discussion between the delegation and
the officials of the Institute.
3.3.2. The primary role of
the institute was to create an appropriate platform for pro-active rural
development in the region which was started in 1995. Today, the institute is
one of the leading institutions in
3.3.3.
The philosophy of the Institute is based on an approach where rural people are
provided with access to skills in the latest sustainable technologies using
improved tools and equipment for enhanced productivity and quality dimensions.
Special emphasis was put on capacity building and income generating of the
underprivileged, women, unemployed youth, and other vulnerable sections of the
rural community.
3.3.4. The primary focus is to make use of technology that
is sustainable and rurally friendly so as to enable the rural poor to earn
sustainable incomes and lead quality of life, thus installing confidence in
rural communities to embark on even bigger sustainable projects. The institute
aspires to fulfilling the dream or if one can say the wishes of Mahatma
Gandhi’s, of making rural
3.3.5. From the discussions it was noted that the main aims
and objectives of the institute are to:
3.3.6. The delegation then visited the training centre and
viewed the various training programmes that were being run at the Institute.
3.4 Meeting with officials from the Society for the Elimination of
Rural Poverty (SERP)
3.4.1. The Committee met with Mr Raidu who made a
presentation on the organisations mandate and function. The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) is an
autonomous society, run under the Department of Rural Development, Government
of Andhra Pradesh and is chaired by the Chief Minister as the ex-officio
Chairman of the General Body (GB).
3.4.2. The SERP has broad representation from
key stakeholders, government and NGOs. The GB consists of twenty-five members,
with five ex-officio government officials and 20 representing leading agencies
and individuals contributing to rural development, community mobilization and
poverty alleviation.
3.4.3. The main objective of the society is to:
3.4.4. Mr Raidu further explained that the
success of the society depended on key elements such as the management by
women’s organizations; “decentralized
extension system”, being accountable to grassroots women’s
organizations; exploiting locally
available natural resources; reducing the cost of cultivation without
compromising on yields; radical soil/moisture conservation; biodiversity and poly cropping; unique
collaboration between womens organizations, farmers, N.G.Os, and government;
knowledge sharing with emerging
farmers; intervention prioritiesn and decision making by farmers, not by the
board of the society; Infrastructure support for reducing drudgery; and the combination of traditional wisdom together
with cutting edge technologies.
3.4.5. Mr Raidu stated that the aim of the
society was the expansion of the programme and knowledge base of the local
inhabitants, with the piloting of food security programmes in twenty more rural
villages. The society wants to encourage rural villages to explore carbon
credits, whereby they would then form partnerships with companies. Also the marketing and development of organic
and pesticide free agriculture commodities is another avenue to be explored.
4. Recommendations by the Committee:
Report to be
considered.
[1] Panchayati Raj is a system of governance used in