As beneficiaries of a revolving fund of the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAV), as many as 34,200 poor families in the central hill district of Sindhuli have started earning regular income. They are involved in initiatives like agriculture, animal husbandry, small shops and eateries, etc. With an investment of anywhere from Rs 20,000 to Rs 500,000, families are earning a monthly income ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs150,000. So far, the PAV has invested Rs 773 million among Sindhuli’s ‘extremely poor’, ‘poor’ and ‘Dalit’ families—the categories based on the fund’s survey in 2006-07.
PAV’s Sindhuli district chief Ramala Bhandari said that Rs 517 million has been invested via the revolving fund and another Rs 256 million on infrastructure development. Under the latter category, there have been investments in micro-hydro plants, schools, farmers’ markets, farm product storage centers, irrigation channels, etc, all of which contribute to income generation and capacity building of low-income families.
According to Bhandari, the PAV has completed 12 income generation projects and 242 infrastructure projects in the district by collaborating with 10 local partner organizations. She said that all such projects will soon be handed over to the newly elected local bodies.
By RAJAN GAUNLE | SINDHULI
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