IIM Indore to prepare action plan for 4 UP dists

LUCKNOW: In a step aimed at giving further impetus to its One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme, the UP government has roped in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore to prepare action plan for four districts of the state.

These districts are Gorakhpur, Deoria, Kushinagar and Mahrajganj -- all part of Gorakhpur division.

The government and IIM Indore have already inked a pact for this project, said officials.

Director, IIM Indore, Himanshu Rai said, “There will be a two-level approach. One will be aimed at the policy level, while the other will look at infrastructure in all the four districts.”

As part of the project, a team from IIM Indore conducted ‘ODOP Jan Sarvekshan’ survey in Deoria. “The survey was conducted with the ODOP participants of the Udyam Samagam (enterprise meet) 2019. The IIM team analysed data of almost 60 ODOP teams of Deoria to generate insights related to the participants/artisans of the district involved in the scheme,” said Rai.

He said the team found that gradually women stakeholders had increased in Deoria district.

A part of the survey reads: ‘The number of women team leaders has increased in Deoria. It will surely help to improve their economy. In other words, women are participating in mainstream economic activity.’

The UP government’s ODOP scheme aims to encourage indigenous and specialised products and crafts of all the districts of the state. The products being promoted in Gorakhpur division under the scheme are: terracotta (Gorakhpur district), decorative products (Deoria), furniture (Mahrajganj) and banana fire products (Kushinagar).

MODEL VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

IIM Indore has also been instrumental in charting out a development plan for Kataura village in Deoria.

The IIM team has carried out a baseline survey of the village and is preparing oneyear and five-year development plans. The focus is on implementing the GPDP (gram panchayat development plan) scheme of the Government of India and ensuring regular meetings of the gram sabha.

“Based on our learning from this project, IIM Indore will replicate it in other villages of Deoria district,” said Rai.