Social Monitoring Report Semi-Annual Report Loan Number: 3620 NEP Project Number: 48218-003 April 2020 Nepal: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project Prepared by the Government of Nepal for the Asian Development Bank. This Social Monitoring Report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (As of 31 March 2020) Currency unit - Nepalese (NPR) NPR 1.00 = $0.00824 $ 1.00 = 121.28 NPR This social monitoring report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. 2 Contents 1. Project Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 2. PHYSICAL PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES ............................................................................ 1 3. LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Social Safeguards provision in RCIP .......................................................................................................... 6 4. OBJECTIVE, APPROACH AND SCOPE OF SEMI ANNUAL MONITORING ........................................... 6 4.1 Objective ................................................................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Approach ................................................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Scope of Semi Annual Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 7 5. SOCIAL SAFEGUARD MONITORING PARAMETERS/INDICATORS AND PROVISION ........................ 7 6. PROCESS VERIFICATION OF VOLUNTARY LAND DONATION ............................................................. 8 7. VULNERABLE AFFECTED PERSONS’ SUPPORT MEASURES ................................................................ 8 8. CPP IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS MONITORING ................................................................................ 9 8.1. Progress of deed transfer of donated land.................................................................................................. 9 8.2. Progress on livelihood restoration of APs ................................................................................................ 10 8.2.1 Livelihood Enhancement Skill (LES) training .................................................................................... 10 8.2.2. Employment Generation ................................................................................................................... 12 8.3. Grievance Redress Mechanism and Progress ........................................................................................... 13 8.4. Grievance Redress Records and Progress ................................................................................................ 14 8.5. Rehabilitation of public and private structure ........................................................................................... 15 8.6 Awareness Program on HIV/AIDS, STI, Human Trafficking and Road Safety .......................................... 16 8.7 Project disclosure, public participation and consultation ........................................................................... 17 9. PREPARATION OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PLAN (CPP) FOR ADDITIONAL LENGTH ......... 18 10. SUPPORT/ASSISTANCE PROVISIONS FOR APS ................................................................................... 19 11. Institutional Arrangements ......................................................................................................................... 21 12. Key Issues and Way forward........................................................................................................................ 21 13. TIME-BOUND ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................................. 22 14. ANNEX ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 Annex-1: Progress of deed transfer in all project Districts .............................................................................. 24 ANNEX-2: Disaggregated data of Livelihood Skill Development Training ..................................................... 27 Annex-3 Status of Loan Covenants ................................................................................................................. 28 ANNEX-4: Grievance record and Status ........................................................................................................ 32 Annex 5: Pictures .......................................................................................................................................... 43 3 Table: Table 1: Contract Details of Sub projects and physical progress ........................................................................... 3 Table 2: Summary of Deed transfer and Monitoring Status ........................................................................... 9 Table 3: Progress of organized livelihood Skill Training in summary ................................................................. 11 Table 4: Employment generation record in project districts as of 31 March 2020 ................................................ 12 Table 5: Formation of Grievance Redress Committee and sub- Committee ......................................................... 13 Table 6 : Summary of Grievance record and Status ............................................................................................ 14 Table 7: Reconstruction of infrastructure by contractors ..................................................................................... 15 Table 8: Achievement of HIV/AIDS, STI, Human Trafficking and Road Safety awareness training against its target. ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Table 9: CPP of new section of purposed roads .................................................................................................. 18 Table 10: Time-Bound Action Plan.................................................................................................................... 23 4 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank APs Affected Peoples CBO Community Based Organization CPF Community Participation Framework CPP Community Participation Plan Council for Technical Education and Vocational CTEVT Training CSC Construction Supervision Consultant DLRO District Land Revenue Office DLSO District Land Survey Office DoLI Department of Local Infrastructure EA Executing Agency FGD Focus Group Discussion GRC Grievance Redress Committee GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism HH Households IA Implementing Agency M Municipality MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Government Organization PAM Project Administration Manual PCU Project Coordination Unit PIU Project Implementation Unit RCIP Rural Connectivity Improvement Project RM Rural Municipality ROW Right of Way SMR Safeguards Monitoring Report 5 DEFINITION Acquisition: Acquisition of land and other assets for the purpose of development projects in accordance to prevailing Land Acquisition Act 1977 (2034 BS). Displaced Persons: Affected persons are those who are physically displaced (relocation, loss of residential land, or loss of shelter) and economically displaced (loss of land assets, income sources, or means of livelihood) as a result of involuntary resettlement of land, involuntary restrictions on land use or on access to legally designated parks and protected areas. Indigenous People: The ethnic groups and communities having distinct social and cultural characteristics such as distinct language/mother tongue, traditional customs, cultural identity, social structure from those of dominant populations and culture. The National Foundation for Upliftment of Aadibasi/Janjati Act, 2058 (2002) has identified 59 groups as Adivasi/Janajati (or indigenous peoples or nationalities) in Nepal. Meaningful consultation : A process that (i) begins early in the project preparation stage and is carried out on an ongoing basis throughout the project cycle; (ii) provides timely disclosure of relevant and adequate information that is understandable and readily accessible to affected people; (iii) is undertaken in an atmosphere free of intimidation or coercion; (iv) is gender inclusive and responsive, and tailored to the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable