COSFOM-KFW project funds released as per guidelines – PCCF

Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by SPN Editor

Principal chief conservator of forest Aditya K Joshi on has clarified that funds for Community based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resources Conservation, Manipur (COSFOM) and Germany based Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaubbau (KWF) project implementation in Ukhrul district have been released on instalment basis as per the requirement and guidelines.

A team of COSFOM and KWF has inspected community projects at Choithar and Shirui village in Ukhrul disstrict on May 8 and stated that the erratic fund flows which apparently have caused hindrance to the working of the project.

The first release of funds was made on May 14, 2020. Subsequently, next batches of fund release were made on July 22, 2020, October 27, 2020, January 6, 2022 and March 16, 2022, it stated.

It stated that funds in the year 2021 were not released as the Village Micro plan was in progress. The preparation of Micro plans for a particular village is required for further release of funds. “Various exercises like Participatory Land Use Pattern (PLOP), Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Livelihood Improvement Plan (LIP) SHGs formation etc. were not completed then due to the pandemic COVID -19 restrictions in place in different villages of the district,” Aditya Joshi added.

Moreover, the release of funds for SHGs under Livelihood Improvement plan is done on an installment basis. First batch of installment was released on January 6, 2022 for four SHGs each in Choithar and Shirui Village, it mentioned. The remaining funds for SHGs would be released on subsequent installments.

It also stated that the Water reservoir tank in Choithar has a proper Water inlet from the source of nearby stream. The inlet was temporarily diverted to accommodate the need for extra water for the upcoming New Church Building Dedication in Choithar, it stated.

The provision for the outlet is in place but has not been functional as the village authority has not decided which household would be supplied from this water reservoir tank, it added