Date:04/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/04/stories/2005080401831900.htm

Back DFID to fund more projects in AP

Our Bureau

A RUSTIC TOUCH: Allegra, daughter of Ms Susanna Moorehead, head of Department for International Development (DFID), leads her through a maize field at Jala village in Rajapet mandal of Nalgonda district on Wednesday. Ms Moorehead is on a visit to study the support extended on poverty reduction programmes in Andhra Pradesh. - P.V. Sivakumar

Hyderabad , Aug.3

THE Head, Department For International Development (DFID), India, Ms Susanna Moorhead, has reaffirmed support for several programmes, including Centre for Good Governance, taken up by the State and assured a financial commitment for another Ł200 million by the end of 2008.

Ms Moorehead assured the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, of help for the smooth progress of the programmes. The Chief Minister said that DFID has contributed significantly in strengthening the infrastructure in schools and municipalities, Governance reforms, improvement in rural livelihoods, elimination of child labour, prevention of AIDS, public enterprises reform and micro-finance.

About Rs 7,280 crore is being spent on 15 DFID projects in the State.

Another project estimated at Rs 652 crore on medium terms strategy and expenditure framework for health in the State prepared by International Health Systems Programme (IHSP) of Harvard University School of Public Health is to be implemented in three years. It has technical assistance package of Rs 14.50 crore.

She said that DFID is contemplating to fund the Governance Reform Programme Phase II in Centre for Good Governance with Rs 60 crore assistance. In Phase I, Rs 27.13 crore was deployed. The objectives of Phase -II would be to establish strategy performance and innovation units to implement department specific reform action plans in key Government departments.