As one of their major tasks, VCs will plan and carry out micro-infrastructure projects (VC scheme). Experiences from the previous phase indicates that VC can keep itself quite active when it implements VC schemes at the pace of one scheme in a year. The bottom up planning and participatory implementation of the schemes can keep VC busy and active enough to regularly hold VC meetings and carry out tough negotiations among stakeholders in collecting union taxes and ensuring 20% matching contribution of the construction costs. The VC scheme would be used for realization of villagers' common interest, particularly addressing the public benefit such as repairing village primary schools, para roads, culverts and installing village-wide sanitary latrines etc.
The cost of the VC scheme will be shared among three main stakeholders: villagers, the Union ADP block fund, and the Project. Villagers' contribution will be set at 20% for road repairs and may be up to 30% for sanitation scheme. The contribution will be made either in labour or in cash before starting the work to be done by the Project's contribution. The contribution of the Union ADP block fund is assumed to be 10% in the first year, to be increased to 20% in the second year, and up to 30% in the following years, depending on the availability of such fund. The Project's contribution that accounts for between 70% and 40% is expected to be decreasing over years, so that such a micro-infrastructure buildup will be sustained even when the Project will recede after the Project period. It is noted here that Project assistance would be disbursed only after union tax will be cleared including both current and arrear. As VCs monetary matching contribution is motivational and optional and it will not be released from Project fund. The anticipated project cost has not been included in total TAPP cost.
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The mode of implementing the VC scheme is designed as follows:
(1)
The Project will announce the number of projects to support for each union each year.
(2
VCs will propose their project plans to the Union Coordinating Committee (UCC).
(3)
UCCM will make an annual plan of implementation with priority order.
(4)
A Project Implementation Committee (PIC) will be formulated for each project consisting a concerned Union Parishad (UP) member, a concerned Nation Building Department (NBD) extension worker, a concerned VC representative and a UDO. A woman
may be selected additionally unless the PIC already includes a woman
.
(5)
The VC collects union taxes and the 20-30% matching contribution from the villagers.
(The collection has been made relatively smoothly in PRDP-I.)
(6)
The PIC starts implementing the VC scheme for the portion to be contributed by the villagers by mobilizing their own labour
and/or hiring labourers, and subsequently continues the work with the fund disbursed by the Project following due processes.
(7)
The PIC will be vested responsibilities including cost estimation, labor management, general monitoring, auditing and finally
reporting to UCC.
(8)
The overall coordination of the VC scheme implementation will be made by the UCCM
finally. The UCC is given the entire ownership of VC schemes and entrusted to use the budget properly.
List of probable small infrastructure are given below:
a)
Construction of para roads, small culverts and ring culverts
b)
Improvement of derelict tanks for fish cultivation
c)
Repair and provision of furniture of village primary schools
d)
Village-wide sanitation
e)
Other need-based micro-infrastructures
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