IPP455 REV Government of Rajasthan Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Public Disclosure Authorized RAJASTHAN RURAL LIVELIHOOD PROJECT Social Assessment Public Disclosure Authorized 2010 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Prepared by Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur 2 Content List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Executive Summary Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Social Assessment 7 Chapter 3 Poverty & Human Development in the Project Area 15 Chapter 4 Baseline Information 52 Chapter 5 Stakeholder & Institutional Framework 100 Chapter 6 Project Benefits, Impacts & Risk 109 Chapter 7 Stakeholder Consultation 113 Chapter 8 Recommendation for Project Design and Implementation 125 Chapter 9 Monitoring & Evaluation Plan 134 Chapter 10 Gender Action Plan 137 Annexure Summary of district and state consultations 1 List of Abbreviations AWC Anganwadi Center BGVS Bharat Gyan Vigyna Samiti BMI Body Mass Index BPL Below Poverty Line CIG Common Interest Group CDP Combating Desertification Project DCCB District Central; Cooperative Bank DDP Desert Development Program DPAP Drought Prone Area Program DPIP District Poverty Initiative Project FGD Focused Group Discussion GDI Gender Development Index GoI Government of India GoR Government of Rajasthan GSDP Gross State Domestic Product HDI Human Development Index HH Household ICDS Integrated Child Development Services IMR Infant Mortality Rate IWDP Integrated Wasteland Development Program IWMP Integrated Watershed Management Program M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MFI Micro Finance Institution MGNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act MMR Maternal Mortality Ratio NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NCA Net Cropped Area NGO Non Governmental Organization NRAA National Rain-fed Area Authority NREGA National Employment Guarantee Act NSAP National Social Assistance Program NSSO National Sample Survey Organization OBC Other Backward Castes PAD Project Appraisal Document PDS Public Distribution System PRA Participatory Research Appraisal PRI Panchayati Raj Institution RKVY Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana RRLP Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Project SA Social Assessment SHG Self- Help Groups SMU State Monitoring Unit ST Scheduled Tribe SC Scheduled Caste TAD Tribal Area Development TCA Total Cropped Area TPDS Targeted Public Distribution System UNDP United Nations Development Program 2 Acknowledgements The Social Assessment & Tribal Development Framework Study for the Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Project was undertaken in six districts of Rajasthan. This report is a collaborative effort. We are grateful to the Government of Rajasthan and its department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj for sponsoring this study. We are grateful to Shri. C.S. Rajan, Principal Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Government of Rajasthan for involving the Institute in this exercise. We would also extend our gratitude to Ms. Punam, Project Director, RRLP-Rajasthan for her help. Mr. S.M. Adeel Abbas- Social Development Specialist of RRLP- Rajasthan for his contribution and support in conduct of study. We would also like to thank the World Bank for support specially Mr. Amarinder Singh and Mr. Varun Singh for their support and contributions. We would also like to appreciate the help provided to us by the SPMU unit of Government of Rajasthan headed by the Project Director of RRLP. It is our duty to appreciate the contribution of the District- level and Block- level officers of the six districts. We would like to specially thank and acknowledge the time and contribution of the village community of all the twenty-four villages. Their suggestions and discussions were of immense importance for the study. We are also grateful to participants of district and state consultations for comments and suggestions. Last but not the least we appreciate the support and contribution of the research staff of IDS- Gopal Singh, Shyam Singh, Kamna Khurana, Rakesh Pareekh, Jitendra Singh, Surendra Singh and Ahish Acharya. Varsha Joshi Surjit Singh Mohanakumar S 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Government of Rajasthan is proposing Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Project in line with DPIP Rajasthan. The project objective is “to increase and sustain income of the poor especially women in selected districts of the State.” This would be achieved through: social inclusion and community mobilization; building sustainable member-based organizations of the poor; creation of linkages between these organizations and financial (banks and insurance companies) and other service providers; new livelihood strategies that are adaptable to climate change and improved access to social security/ protection including food security, fodder security and health risk. The Project Components include: • Institution Building & Social Empowerment: The objectives of this component are to empower the poor communities to organize themselves and aggregate their development demand at various levels, and to build the capacity of the community to meaning engage in the project. • Community Investment Support: The project will facilitate the community to invest both financial and other resources in their own livelihoods. This investment will be partly financial, where community institutions at different levels will be provided revolving fund grants which will be passed on to the4 households as loans. • Skills development and employment promotion. • Climate Change Adaptation Vulnerability to climate change has social, economic and political dimensions, which influence how climate change affects different groups. • Project Implementation and Support Social Assessment. As part of preparation of RRLP, a detailed Social Assessment (SA) within the project area was conducted. The study involved field survey and consultations in 6 project districts, including consultation with tribal communities, government departments and NGOs. The social assessment has involved i) identification of the social perspectives, impacts, benefits and issues relevant to the objectives and interventions of RRLP; ii) holding informed consultations with the primary and secondary stakeholders of the project, particularly the scheduled tribes, the scheduled castes and women’s groups; iii) identifying mechanisms and processes to promote the participation and inclusion of the poor, the women and tribal communities in the project districts; and iv) preparing a tribal development and gender action framework. The SA builds on the studies, findings, consultations and community interaction processes initiated by the GOR under DPIP and other government departments, and NGOs. The SA methodology included household survey, public consultations and focus group discussions in villages, village profiling and mapping, and interviews and consultations with government, NGO and PRI staff and representatives. The SA laid particular focus to consult the scheduled tribes in Banswara, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh and Baran. Stakeholder Consultations. The social assessment involved household interviews and consultations with the primary stakeholders in 24 villages across 12 development blocks in 6 project districts, including communities in the predominantly tribal districts. These included households below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL), the scheduled castes (SCs), the scheduled tribes (STs), other backward castes, and women headed households, persons with disabilities, primitive tribal groups, youth, and members of the existing self help groups (SHGs). Focus group discussions and consultations were also held with other stakeholders, including officials of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, elected representatives and officials of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), and other government departments dealing with schemes on rural livelihood, poverty reduction, and 4 social welfare. NGOs working with these social groups, representatives from academia, activists and community leaders besides government departments – at state, district, block and village levels were part of the consultations. Two districts and one state level workshop were organized on 13-15 September 2010 to disclose the findings of the social assessment study, the action plans on tribal inclusion and gender, and invite feedback and suggestions. The feedback of all these consultations have helped in drafting the TDF, GAP and the overall social assessment report. Disclosure of the social assessment report and the tribal development framework through the website of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and district collector’s offices, as well at community level is planned. Key social issues of relevance. The key findings highlighted by the study are: low levels of health and education indicators, high incidence of poverty and vulnerability, fragmented social capital and weak social cohesion, caste hierarchies and social discrimination, tribal marginalization and exclusion, limited women’s rights and freedom, gender discrimination in public and private spheres, and marginalization of the poor from local self governance processes. Caste and gender based discrimination, exclusion and subjugation are the most important social constraints for inclusion and empowerment of the poorest. The extent of poverty among the scheduled population groups continues to be higher than among the non- scheduled groups. The major vulnerable groups are the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, certain OBCs. Women from these groups face multiple deprivations. Caste hierarchies