Mid-Term Status Review-cum-Evaluation Study of AP Participatory Tribal Development Project

Abstract

The Andhra Pradesh Participatory Tribal Development Project (IFAD) is being implemented in 28 watersheds covering 1016 tribal villages and 76810 families in five (5) ITDAs viz. Adilabad, Eturunagaram, (Warangal), Bhadrachalam (khammam district), K.R. Puram (West Godavari District), and Sundipenta (comprises of Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Prakasam, Guntur, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda Districts. A Special Strategy was adopted for identification of predominantly tribal villages/ habitations by fixing two norms viz.. more than 70 percent of the total population should be tribals and more than 70 percent of the cultivated land should also belong to tribals. In the Sundipenta project area, the majority of the tribals are Chenchus forming more than 85 percent of the total population living in a contiguous area located in six bordering districts. To raise income levels, ensure food security and improve the quality of the tribals, within the context of the traditional tribal environment, culture and values. Promote greater self reliance amongst communities on a sustainable basis and to reduce and reverse the degradation of the environment. To meet the project objectives in light of the above components, the Government of Andhra Pradesh approached the IFAD, Rome for financial assistance. The loan agreement was signed with IFAD on 13th may 1994 and sanctioned the Project with an outlay of Rs 18,550.64 lakhs for implementation from 1994-95 for a period of seven years. The Commissioner, Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh entrusted to the centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), the task of undertaking the critical Mid-term Appraisal of the process evaluation of APPTDP to enable him to make mid-course corrections and provide the needed insights for the more effective implementation of a major public policy. The study would enable him to assess whether the development process is moving the desired direction and is capable of achieving the stipulated objectives of the programme. This would also enable the implementing agency to visualize the shortfalls in programme implementation and take corrective measures at an appropriate time. As the entire study had to be completed within a short span of three months, it was not possible to take a larger sample. Hence the study covered only 5 percent of the sample schemes grounded up to 31st march, 1998. In all 652 schemes were covered from 80 villages of 30 mandals. These schemes were implemented in consecutive years 1994-95, 1995-96 & 1997-98