HANDLOOM
Schemes taken up under Handloom Section:-
i) Handloom Production Centres: To generate employment and promote Handloom industry of the state, MDS actively supports Handloom Production Centres (HPCs)/ Self Help Groups. HPCs are provided skills development trainings, looms & accessories at a subsidized rate along with working capital in the form of raw materials (yarn). Value additions made by the HPCs are paid for in a prescribed rate to the supervisors of HPCs or group of leaders of SHGs for further transfer to actual workers.
ii) Marketing of Handloom Products: The handloom items produced by the HPCs are directly marketed by MDS through its retail outlets, mobile vans, etc. Bulk sales are also made in exhibitions purchased by interested private clients and sometimes by government agencies. The society also facilitates demand based handloom product sales after receiving requisition from local entrepreneurs, weavers’ groups and other individual customers. Moreover, the Society not only participates in many national and international fairs and exhibitions, Buyers & Sellers’ Meets etc. but also organise some of them to market its handloom wares.
iii) Training & up-gradation of Skills: Training & up-gradation of Skills: The Society organizes trainings on basic skills of handloom activities for the benefit of primary weavers. Skill upgradation programmes have followed up these basic training programmes for advanced weavers
AGRICULTURE
Schemes taken up under Agriculture Programme are as follows :-
1. PROMOTION OF COLLECTIVE FARMING (Winter & Summer Crops)
Manipur Development Society runs a regular programme for employment generation in hill and valley districts of Manipur to enhance the income level of small and marginal farmers of the state. The Programme emphasizes good practices in intensive cropping and expansion of acreage of winter crops to make better use of fallow lands by providing inputs and technical supports. To ensure better co-ordination, management and accessibility, the programme is implemented in compact areas of not less than 4-5 Hectares each for winter crops and 2 hectares for summer crops programme.
The compact areas are selected based on feasibility criteria set by the Society like availability of land, proximity to the source of irrigation waters, manpower/ farming communities, soil conditions, income level of the farmers/beneficiaries and other parameters as deemed fit from time to time. In such programmes, small groups of 20 to 30 poor and marginal farmers for summer crop & 10-20 farmers for winter crops are ideal size of the beneficiaries.
MDS mainly provides agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, PP chemicals etc. free of cost in lieu of wages for pre-cropping, cultivation, harvesting and post harvesting activities. The programme inspires the farmers/groups to continue these good practices in the subsequent seasons, often with savings from the earlier programmes.
2. FARMERS AWARENESS PROGRAMME (Winter and Summer crops )
MDS organises farmers awareness programme with the objective to impart modern agricultural practice and technology to the traditional farmers. Farmers are trained in the use of new practices and technology. Basic concepts of soil conservation and water management, pest control & management, efficient utilization of nutrients and P.P. chemicals, post harvesting technology, resource management etc. are taught during these training programmes. It is ensured that these programme are completed prior to the implementation of programmes for Winter and Summer Crops. These trainings camps are a result of a collective effort. The programmes are organised through BDOs, Gram Panchayats and local bodies in the valley districts and Village Authority / Headmen of the concerned village /clusters of hill districts. The interested farmer groups are organised through MDS field staff and farmers submit application for availing the scheme through their concerned authorities.
Based on the applications received, concerned field staff conducts site tour to assess feasibility. A Committee then finalises selection of the trainees and beneficiaries of the compact areas programmes.
Programmes Implementation / Operation:
Since most of the farmers reside in rural areas, programme implementation is also focused in the rural areas. In order to ensure effective access to the grass root level beneficiaries, involvement of the local authority of the concerned villages have been made compulsory while implementing the schemes. The programmes are organised through BDOs, Gram Panchayats and local bodies in the valley districts and village authority / headman of the concerned village /region in case of hill districts. The interested farmer groups are organised through MDS field staff and intimated to submit application for the scheme through their concerned authorities.
Based on the application received, concerned field staff conducts intensive tour to assess feasibility of the applicants on the prescribed forms. Committee finalises recommendations for selection of the compact areas beneficiaries after thoroughly examining reports submitted by the field staff.
ENGINEERING
IRRIGATION TANK: Agriculture is the mainstay of all the economic activities of Manipur. Many efforts have been made by both central and state government to bring about all development in this sector. Manipur Development Society has also been actively participating in this process by providing agricultural infrastructures. MDS has provided mid-size irrigation facilities by constructing small and medium size multipurpose Irrigation tanks, canals and ring bunds etc. and also provided well-equipped pump houses wherever required. Construction of Irrigation Tanks has been a successful programme of MDS in providing agricultural infrastructure within the state (both Hill and Valley districts) since its inception. The main objective of this programme is to create a command area around the proposed irrigation tank and create employment in rural areas by using the available facilities. The Society has also taken up schemes on construction of Integrated Irrigation Tanks (IITs) under Special Plan Assistance (SPA). Under this scheme, medium and large size irrigation tanks equipped with fully functional pump houses and the entire necessary infrastructure for using it as a multipurpose pond is provided to the beneficiaries.
MARKET SHEDS: The scheme was introduced for providing marketing facilities to the rural and semi urban areas. As the agricultural output of the state has grown quite considerably, it was felt that the surplus produce generated by the farmers during the cropping seasons has to be provided a marketing avenue in the nearby market place of their habitation. Towards this end, MDS has constructed market sheds in the areas where sizeable number of buyers and sellers would meet and commercial activities would take place. The scheme has benefitted many farmers and traders operating in rural and semi-urban areas of the state.
MISC. ENGINEERING: MDS has been actively participating in bringing about all round development in the state. As an initiative to create much needed social infrastructure with an objective to provide civic facilities to the general public of the state living in both hill and districts, the Society has taken up the schemes for construction of the following social infrastructures:
i) Community Halls,
ii) Bus waiting sheds,
iii) Pay & use toilets,
iv) Multipurpose halls
v) Irrigation Canals and Ring bunds
