India, World Bank sign USD 210 mn loan agreement for Maharashtras Agribusiness:
Government of India (GoI) and the World Bank signed a $210 million loan agreement for the State of Maharashtra. The loan was aimed to support Agribusiness and Rural Transformation projects in the state. The loan amount from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a grace period of six years and a maturity period of 13.5 years.
Aim:
The project aims to support smallholder farmers to participate in competitive agriculture value chains and facilitate agri-business investments in the state. The main objective of the agreement is to increase market access and productivity in focus commodities
Agreement:
♦ The agreement will support to build the resilience of crops to recurrent floods or droughts in Maharashtra.
♦ The project will be implemented in all 36 districts of Maharashtra.
♦ It is expected that around 1 million farming households will directly benefit from the project.
♦ At least 43% of farmers and farm-workers participating in project activities are expected to be women.
♦ Specific focus will be given to women-led enterprises and the participation of women in the decision-making processes of farmer producer organizations.
♦ It focuses on enhancing the capacity of the state to effectively manage and deliver agricultural technical support and services and increase credit linkages to formal financing institutions
♦ It will improve Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards and investing in business development services which will help small holder farmers in the state.
Centre to sign an accord with Bodo militant group NDFB:
The government of India signs an accord with the banned Assam-based insurgent group Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on 27 January 2020. The agreement will be signed by the Joint Secretary in the MHA, Satyendra Garg, and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna with the leaders of the four factions of the NDFB. It will be presided over by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Accord highlights:
♦ The accord will provide a great deal of political and economic leverage without their key demand of separate Bodoland either in the form of a state or a Union Territory (UT).
♦ It will provide for some political rights to the Bodo tribals living in Assam. It will be a special economic package for the community.
Bodo tribals:
The Bodo tribals are an ethnolinguistic group present in Assam. The people of the tribe are a part of the Bodo-Kachari family. The people speak the Bodo language. The Bodo tribal people are active in the Bodoland Territorial Council and in districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri, and Chirang of Assam.