Latest news with #RuralLivelihoodMission
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UP govt releases Rs 70 crore for infusing entrepreneurship amongst SC/ST youth
Lucknow: In a Dalit-centric move, the state govt has formally released a sum of around Rs 70 crore for skill development and infusing entrepreneurship amongst SC/ST groups under the UP State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) for the 2025-26 fiscal. The sum comprises a 60% share from the Centre (Rs 47.64 crore) and 40% from the state govt (Rs 31.73 crore). In a communique, the state rural development department stated that the rural development commissioner and mission director of the UPSRLM will be responsible for actual ground-level verification of the achieved goals. The two officials will also ensure the issuance of utility certificates upon completion of the project. A senior official in the UPSRLM said that the budget will help the department in its bid to augment the SC/ST groups through training and other measures. Experts believe that the allocation was a clear policy step toward the economic inclusion of Dalits, who have historically faced structural and social disadvantages. By focusing on skill training and entrepreneurship, the govt is attempting to push the narrative of self-reliance and job creation within the socially disadvantaged communities. Being routed through UPSRLM, the initiative links directly to rural empowerment. This includes enhanced non-farm employment opportunities in villages, encouragement of micro-enterprise development, and reduced dependency on traditional or subsistence livelihoods. The Centre-state funding split (60:40) reflects effective cooperative governance, especially in social welfare programmes. It also signals continued Central govt support for inclusive rural development. Nevertheless, the real impact depends on the execution of the scheme. Experts said that the success of this initiative will rely on a number of factors, including the quality and relevance of training modules, market linkages for entrepreneurs, reduction in bureaucratic delays or fund leakages, and inclusion of women and youth within the Dalit community. Analysts said that the development also holds political significance in the run-up to the panchayat polls due next year.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Allahabad HC questions use of female workforce for men's toilet maintenance
Lucknow, The Allahabad High Court raised concerns on Thursday regarding the maintenance of public toilets for men in a Raebareli village being entrusted with a female workforce. The issue arose while the Lucknow bench of the court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation matter concerning the construction and upkeep of toilets for both men and women in Jeyona village under the Maharajganj block development area of Raebareli district. A division bench of Justices A R Masoodi and A K Srivastava directed for the filing of a detailed counter-affidavit in the matter and also ordered the personal appearance of the village head concerned in the court on May 22. The PIL was filed by Jamuna Prasad regarding the state of public toilets in the Jeyona village panchayat. Previously, the bench had summoned the village head to address the issues raised in the plea. Complying with the court's order, the village head had appeared before the bench and informed the judges that a common toilet facility for men and women was established in the village under the Swachh Bharat Mission. "Three separate toilets for women and an equal number of toilets for men have been constructed at the same place. In order to monitor the maintenance of the toilets, a self-help group of 12 women, sponsored by the Rural Livelihood Mission, has been engaged," he told the court. On the court's inquiry about the gram panchayat's approach to maintaining the toilets specifically designated for men, the village head submitted that the same self-help group, comprising only women and engaged for approximately a year, is responsible for the upkeep of all toilets. This explanation drew a reaction from the bench, which observed, "Maintenance of toilets used by men through a female workforce does not seem to be in line with any scheme evolved by the gram panchayat, which enjoys exclusive control of maintenance."
