MOS(RD-S) - Ministry of Rural Development

Speech of Shri Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Minister of State for Rural
Development for the Ministerial Retreat.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, HON’BLE UNION
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT, H.E. CHAIRPERSON, CIRDAP,
MINISTERS FROM MEMBER COUNTRIES, MY COLLEAGUE MINISTER, SMT.
SUURYAKANTA J. PATIL, DG, CIRDAP, SECRETARY (RURAL
DEVELOPMENT), SECRETARIES FROM MEMBER COUNTRIES, ,
EXCELLENCIES AND DISTINGUISHED DIGNITARIES, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN
It is my privilege to share my thoughts with august body of CIRDAP
Member Countries and invitees to the Ministerial Retreat.
In the member countries of the CIRDAP region, the rural development
with poverty alleviation has been the major agenda of development and the
same continues to be the challenge in front of all the development
stakeholders and key actors of the region.
Hence, it is quite gratifying to note that this Ministerial Retreat is set to
deliberate on “Sustainable Livelihoods for the Rural Poor” with focus on
Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies ( ICT) for effective
implementation of Rural Development Programmes and Gender Equality and
Women Empowerment.
We all are in a time and phase where poverty measurement is not
merely confined to income level of the citizens, but is being assessed as the
capabilities, opportunities and the assets of the individual citizens to have
sustainable livelihoods and to be away from vulnerabilities towards various risk
factors.

The multiple deprivations to which the heterogeneous poor people get
subjected to in rural regions i.e. the deprivations of sustainable livelihood, health,
education are much detrimental to their assured basic needs and living
standards. The rural development programmes have regained focus in all
developing economies. We must thank to the UN declaration of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).
We are having this Retreat at a time when the food crisis is posing a major
threat in the world. The CIRDAP region having predominance of agriculture
based livelihoods, needs focused attention to food production and agrarian
reforms as part of rural development efforts for combating the impending threat.
Since the deprivations which the rural poor face, are inter related, the
simple necessity of grounding a comprehensive approach of rural development
through integration of multi sector developmental efforts is very much necessary
and is now being tried here through district level development planning efforts,
rural local governance etc. India implements several programmes of wage
employment guarantee, capacity building, skill development, self employment,
sanitation and drinking water, housing, rural health, education, water and natural
resource conservation under rural development policies and porgrammes.
The need for generating social capital among rural poor is being
addressed in the nation through increased focus of institutional reforms and
strengthening of peoples’ institutions etc. in rural areas. Programmes of Local
Self Governments i.e. Panchayati Raj Institutions, Self Help Groups, micro credit
plans, entrepreneurship promotion with gender equity and women’s
empowerment may be highlighted in this context.
It is high time, if not too late, that we have to remind ourselves that
all these ambitious and well thought programmes of rural development cannot
take off until the real people i.e. the actors-agencies of development are not

provided with competent and appropriate technologies. Technology as engines
of development has to reach and benefit the ultimate users. The Information &
Communication Technology can emerge as a tool for providing such access to
the rural poor for their livelihood, capabilities, infrastructure, connectivity, health,
education, housing sanitation and for management of the living environment .
The human and social context perspectives needed in any developing
country’s rural development efforts demand that the technologies be
contextualised and made inclusive. It is heartening to note that the rights of
those citizens usually not included due to socio economic and gender reasons
are now being given due attention and significance.
A perusal of the gender inequality adjusted Human Development index of
the nations in the region also should serve as an eye opener for the planners,
policy makers and executing agencies to understand the importance of gender
mainstreaming that has to be brought into the rural development policies and
programmes and for its effective implementation. The MDG goal of gender
equality and women empowerment itself highlights the two pronged approach
that any polity should follow to come out of the trap of gender discrimination that
prevails in any development system.
We hope this Retreat will emerge as an opportunity for sharing rich
experiences to bring a win-win situation and wage a war against poverty and
mainstreaming the livelihood of rural poor by leveraging ICT and ensuring gender
equity in all its forms.
Thank you