INDIA: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project

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INDIA Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (P007985) G. Management of Social Issues and Impacts 24. The mission was pleased to note the good progress made in community mobilization in Gujarat. In order to generate baseline data from the village and to mobilize the community, the Gujarat SPMU has recruited about 35 field workers located in the villages and 3 coordinators located in the area. This strong and dedicated field staff helped in mobilizing community through participatory methods. In all target villages collection of baseline data is complete including identification of entry level activities. Self Help Groups (SHGs) for income generation activities, Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) for mangrove plantations have formed. Several awareness generation and capacity building activities including orientation or exposure visits for CBOs, EDCs and SHGs. For the Project as a whole, there had been several initiatives, such as the toll free phone line, a theme based interactive and informative website has been designed, which apart from disseminating ICZMP information also serves as one of the channels for grievance redress. A day long workshop was also organized by SPMU for judiciary officials to orient them to the ICZM project and its grievance redress mechanism. The workshop was very well received by the officials of the State Judiciary, and the Chair of the State Legal Aid Cell has recommended that such workshop should be taken up at all the coastal states, and at the National level with involvement of the National Legal Aid Cell. Gujarat SPMU has also initiated the idea of participatory monitoring by CBO, which is an innovative idea that can be replicated in other Project states. 25. The Odisha SPMU has made an encouraging start, though more staff may be required, especially at the field level. Interaction with the community members during field visits revealed that community mobilization has been very effective. Substantial progress has been made in the activities related to livelihood enhancement pilot investment by the Fisheries Department 221 SHGs have been identified and 22 SHGs have already received Rs. 50000 each towards entry point activities. The Directorate of Handicraft and Cottage Industries is also involved in developing alternative livelihood options for fishermen through coir making and has identified 5 SHGs to start with. It was revealed that the Departments (such as the Department of Fisheries) is involved in operating the bank account of the SHGs, which all agreed will be avoided from now, to avoid the issue of conflict of interest, and to provide operational freedom to the SHGs. It was also agreed that all SHGs will have a separate bank account for this Project, as far as practicable. For many of the pilot investments where not much progress has been otherwise made (such as the activities of the Forest Department; the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation or the Department of Culture) communities have been informed about the activities, but formal mobilization and participatory processes have not started. These processes are essential particularly because the assets will be managed, operated and maintained by the communities in most cases. Though none of the Project activities require any acquisition of private land, government owned land will be transferred to the project. It was agreed that SPMU will conduct social screening to ensure that all such land parcels are free of encroachment and other encumbrances. In the event any use of such land is found to trigger physical or economic relocation (including for non-titleholders), resettlement action plans will be prepared as per the agreed Resettlement Policy Framework for the Project. For the overall project, the SPMU has installed a toll free phone line and has also launched a dedicated website with an interactive grievance redress link. 26. In West Bengal, the social/rural development specialist is yet to be hired in the SPMU. Though no private land acquisition will be required for any of the activities in the Project, government land will be transferred to the project at various locations. It was agreed that SPMU will conduct social screening to ensure that all such land parcels are free of encroachment and other encumbrances. In the event any use of such land is found to trigger physical or economic relocation (including for non-titleholders), resettlement action plans will be prepared as per the agreed Resettlement Policy Framework for the Project. For most of the pilot investments, especially related to livelihood enhancement of the coastal communities, where not much progress has been otherwise made communities have been informed about 10
INDIA Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (P007985) the activities, but formal mobilization and participatory processes have not started. These processes are essential particularly because the assets will be managed, operated and maintained by the communities in most cases. With respect to the environmental improvement of the Digha beach, it was re-emphasized that all the nearly 1650 kiosks (and not any subset of it, such as the old proposition of resettlement of 620 kiosks) will need to be organized as part of the in-situ resettlement; and the consultants to be hired for design and supervision will focus on a comprehensive solution. The kiosk owners who had last year been consulted by the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority and the SPMU have not been contacted since. The consultation process needs to restart, and SPMU will need to ensure that these kiosk owners participate in the design process. H. Procurement 27. There is considerable progress in hiring consultants, awarding major works and initiating goods procurement. There is adequate procurement capacity in the NPMU and SPMUs except in the West Bengal SPMU where the situation is likely to improve by August 2011. The project will need to monitor disclosure framework and risk mitigation measures identified during project preparation and take action. The project has prepared a Procurement Activity Schedule for the next 12 months, which the National and State Project Directors will need to review every month to ensure that there are no further slippages. The agreed key actions for next six months are: (i) to monitor procurement of Goods and works and ensure award as per procurement activity schedule; (ii) to ensure all the agreed disclosures are made as per disclosure framework; (iii) develop online complaint handling and Procurement MIS; and, (iv) to ensure compliance with mitigation measures agreed during project preparation. The agreed details with respect to procurement management are listed in Annex 6, and supplementary activity-specific supplementary details are available in Annex 2. I. Financial Management 28. The NPMU and the SPMUs in Gujarat and Odisha have carried out most of the actions agreed during preparation. The West Bengal SPMU is in the process of completion of the agreed actions and it is expected that before the next mission all the agreed actions would be completed. Except for Gujarat and West Bengal SPMUs, where there is a partial compliance to the legal covenant related to counterpart budget, other financial covenants have been met by the project. The project has agreed on a time based action plan which is summarized in Annex 5 on Financial Management. Based on the above factors, agreed action plan and review of the financial management systems across the project, the Financial Management rating for the Project is pegged as Moderately Satisfactory. J. Agreed next Steps and Mission 29. The next formal Implementation Review Mission is scheduled around mid-October 2011. It was agreed that this next mission will also be a joint mission, in which officials from the NPMU, the SPMU and select PEAs will participate. 30. Following is a list of major agreed actions required from the national and the state project management units (or the MOEF and the State Governments, as applicable) to be undertaken and completed within the next six months. Note that Annex 2 lists all other actions that were discussed and agreed for more successful implementation of the Project. 11
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INDIA: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project

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