Karnataka govt launches Inclusive Livelihood Programme to empower vulnerable and poor people

Bengaluru: The state government on Tuesday launched the Karnataka Inclusive Livelihood Programme (KILP) as part of its effort to enhance livelihoods and empower vulnerable sections, officials said.

This programme of the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood will initially cover 20 taluks of 10 districts in the state, they said.

According to an official statement, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the programme was signed between P I Sreevidya, Mission Director, National Livelihood Mission and Shweta S Banerjee, country lead – India, BRAC International, in the presence of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and Additional Chief Secretary Uma Mahadevan at Vikasa Soudha here.

Launching the pilot phase of the programme that initially aims to cover 4,000 households with a budget of Rs 23 crore, the minister said that the KILP was aimed at creating sustainable, gender-equitable and climate-resilient livelihoods for extremely poor households across 20 taluks of the 10 districts in the state that rank ‘poor’ in the Human Development Index.

It will target the most vulnerable groups, particularly women, and empower them by instilling self-confidence, imparting skill training, enhancing livelihoods, fostering social inclusion, and promoting economic prosperity through a capability-building approach, he said.

Uma Mahadevan said that the scheme will expand its reach to 50,000 extremely poor households by 2027 and 2,50,000 households by 2029.

The KILP is designed to address poverty, inequalities, regional disparities and livelihood issues. Sustainable livelihoods, food and nutritional security, income enhancement, access to government welfare schemes, gender equity, women, and social empowerment are among KILP’s key objectives.

“BRAC International will provide technical expertise and support in designing and implementing the programme through a State-level Project Management Unit (SPMU) and district-level coordination units through PRADAN, a national NGO. The Gram Sabhas, Gram Panchayat level federations and self-help groups are key components and play a key role in beneficiary selection,” she said.

The 20 taluks covered in the pilot phase include Hungund and Badami in Bagalkot district, Aurad and Kamalanagar in Bidar, Kalagi and Shahabad in Kalaburagi, Maski and Sirwar in Raichur, Vadagera and Gurmitkal in Yadgir, Kanakagiri and Gangavathi in Koppal, Thalikote and Almel in Vijayapura, Kudligi and Harapanahalli in Vijayanagara, Kampli and Kurugodu in Ballari and Gundlupet and Yelandur in Chamarajanagara, the statement added.