OTELP-Plus project is being implemented in 23 Tribal villages of Harichandanpur Block covering 3736 households since July 2013. The major objective of the project is to ensure that the livelihoods and food security of the families of those villages in general and Poor tribal households in particular are sustainably improved through promoting a more efficient, equitable, self-managed and sustainable exploitation of the natural resources at their disposal and through off-farm/non-farm enterprise development. The duration of the project is seven years. The intention behind the project is not only to enhance the livelihood of the community but also to empower them so they can lead a better wellbeing in the future. As per the project modality, most of the works are implemented by the community members. For this, village level institutions (VDA & VDCs) have been constituted in all the 23 villages and registered under society registration Act. Besides, Bank account has been opened and community members have been capacitated through training and Exposure visit. During the first two years focus was given on institution building and empowering those institutions through training and exposure visit and regular meeting.

Now including 23 VDCs, we are regularly nurturing 116 SHGs and 23 Village level federations. During this phase, we are implementing different livelihood enhancement activities through direct action, by imparting training on different thematic areas by taking land and water management projects, providing financial support to the vulnerable and disabled families, by providing modern agricultural implements to modernise their existing farming system, etc. Those initiatives are guided by Village development & livelihood plan (VDLP) which is prepared for all 23 villages have been prepared after a detail house hold survey and PRA exercise where community member from all sectors actively participated and duly ratified at Palli Sabha. In the VDLP major focus are given on Land development plan with NRM approach. Plan for 6653 ha treatable area are prepared. Taking that VDLP as reference book for the development we have directly implemented land development activities in 325 area of land through leverage Rs. 26, 16,679/- from MGNREGA. At the same facilitated we facilitated Land & water management activities in another about 350 acres land in our project villages those are being implemented by the concerns GPs. At the same time to improve irrigation potential in the project village 38 number of pumpsets distributed and helps for installations of 6 lift irrigation points.

Including some other, 3799 number of community members are capacitated on different themes for this 120 number of events are conducted. 22 youth received Vocational training on driving-16, Nursing-2 and fishery-4. Duckery support to 3 SHGs are given and trained on rearing. To improve pisci culture in the project area yearlings provided to 16 farmers and capacitated through training and exposure visit. As a result of which this year 57 farmers used pisci culture as a secondary livelihood option. Human health check of 651 community members through 6 health camp and Health check up of 754 cattle through 6 animal health camp. Promotion of vegetable cultivation and horticulture plantation activity is also taken as another major activity. This year vegetable cultivation in 25 acres of land is taken where 75 poor farmers are involved of and 52 acres of WADI plantation taken.