HYDERABAD, Feb 18: The district administration has invited project proposals from the government and non-governmental organizations by the end of March to prepare an integrated plan for poverty alleviation.

At a meeting held here on Thursday, DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed constituted a 20-member district poverty alleviation board to generate income and employment opportunities in the district. The board will be headed by the DCO and the EDO community development.

Other members of the board include the EDO agriculture, director agriculture, director animal husbandry, president of Hyderabad Chambers of Commerce and Industries, district chairman of Zakat and Ushr, in-charge Baitul Maal and one representative each from the Khushali Bank, Agriculture Development Bank, National Rural Support Programme, Strengthening Participatory Organization, Sindh Agriculture and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organization, Sindh Development Society, Aurat Foundation, Health and Nutrition Development Society and Sindh Rural Support Programme.

Speaking on the occasion, the DCO said the people of rural areas were suffering from increase in brackish water and subsurface water level owing to shortage of irrigation water, degradation of agricultural land and lack of alternate earning opportunities.

He said the purpose of the board was to consolidate service activities being carried out by government organizations and NGOs as well and to prepare an integrated strategy to avoid overlapping.

He said development programmes planned under citizens community board schemes, devolved social service programme, drought emergency relief assistance programme by the district government.

The management of district Zakat and Ushr, Baitul Maal, Khushali Bank and Agriculture Development Bank were engaged in providing services to the people of rural area in the shape of development assistance, relief assistance and micro credit facilities with a view to help lower poverty.

He said targeted beneficiaries were not being focused properly because of a lack of coordination among organizations. Besides, lack of know-how about development programmes, objectives and activities of NGOs and procedural unawareness have also deprived people of their benefits.

He said the high rate of interest was also a hurdle in obtaining loans from private organizations. The DCO said the district government had decided to pay the interest in case a loan was obtained by any individual or organization under poverty reduction programme.

He said the district was rich in skilled and talented people as such the district poverty alleviation board would not only coordinate and consolidate all activities being performed for poverty alleviation but also prepare an integrated strategy for concept developing, capacity building, providing vocational training specially for market oriented trades, enhancing computer literacy, creating jobs, learning and exploring opportunities in different fields.

He said there was a room for development in the agriculture sector and the animal husbandry department had been directed to identify farm, animal and poultry oriented programmes for providing training facilities to people of the rural area.