Question : BRLF

(a) whether the Government has taken a decision to set up a Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF);

(b) if so, the details thereof, its objectives, the present status of BRLF and the details of its corpus fund;

(c) whether the Government has requested the business houses to make contribution in BRLF, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to launch rural livelihood schemes in all districts of the country, if so, the details thereof particularly with regard to Uttar Pradesh; and

(e) the time by which the BRLF is likely to be set up?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a): Yes, Madam. Government has set up BRLF as a registered Society on 10th December 2013.

(b): The major objectives of Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF), inter-alia, are:

1. Facilitate civil society action in collaboration with Government for transforming livelihoods and lives of rural households, with an emphasis on women, particularly in the Central Indian Tribal Region.

2. Provide financial grants to civil society organisations (CSOs) to meet their human resource and institutional costs for up-scaling proven interventions, invest in institutional strengthening of smaller CSOs and capacity building and development of professional human resources working at the grassroots.

3. Facilitate projects receiving grant support through all levels of Government to ensure smooth flow and utilization of Government funds for Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

4. Disseminate learning’s from experiences in the field with the aim of making necessary changes in policies or framework of social sector programmes.

5. Promote, work for and assist, through its partnerships and collaborations, the protection, conservation and regeneration of the social and natural environment and cultural and social heritage of tribal communities.

6. Promote sustainable livelihoods with dignity, enlarge space for women, enhance access to and control over resources for tribal communities, especially women; enhance carrying capacity of natural resources; responsive, accountable, transparent administrative and self-governance institutions; creation of a strong and vibrant service demand system and service standards; new opportunities for the youth and such other outcomes flowing from the objectives of the organization.

7. Reduce the gap between programme outlays and outcomes; strengthen democratic institutions of governance at the grass-roots; improve quality of implementation of programmes; reduce leakages; promote inclusive growth and peace in the strife-torn pockets.

8. Strengthen the institutional network and human capital of civil society organizations, community based organizations and Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) and to design and implement systems and platforms needed for such strengthening.

9. Raise resources through permissible channels, to finance its stated objectives functions.

BRLF has commenced functioning. As per available information, Government has committed a sum of Rs.500 crores for creating the corpus fund for BRLF out of which the first tranche of Rs.200 crores has been released to BRLF. NavajbaiRatan Tata Trust (NRTT) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) have contributed Rs.5 crores each as Endowment Fund to BRLF.

(c) : Yes, Madam. Ministry of Rural Development had requested business houses. Four of them agreed to explore possibilities of working with BRLF.

(d): The Ministry is implementing National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), also known as asAajeevika across the country, including Uttar Pradesh.

(e): Does not arise in view of reply to part (a) above.

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