Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP) aimed at improving the lives of 4000 people in Khamnor area of Rajsamand was officially launched today by Nimisha Gupta, CEO Zila Parishad, Rajsamand in Kagmandara village of Khamnor Panchayat samiti.  The project is supported by HDFC Bank Parivartan and implemented by Seva Mandir, a grassroot NGO working in Udaipur district for more than fifty years.

The four-year project is aimed at transforming 16,000 lives by enhancing farm-based incomes, improving quality of education and strengthening community institutions in the area. Improving incomes through vegetable cultivation, better irrigation facilities and livestock improvement are core objectives of the programme. The project also focusses on enhancing children’s learning levels and facilities of clean drinking water and sanitation at 13 government schools, benefitting more than 13,000 children. The holistic programme partners with communities and women to build sustainability of the initiatives and nurture long-lasting behavioural changes around sanitation and healthcare.  

Nusrat Pathan, Head – CSR, HDFC Bank said “HDFC Bank Parivartan’s HRDP programme is poised to impact the lives of villagers in Rajsamand. Sustainability being the core principle of the project, it will include a diverse and targeted set of interventions positively affecting the youth, farmers, women and students alike.” 

Ronak Shah, Chief Executive officer, Seva Mandir added “Women are the most important stakeholder for us in this project. Agriculture has been able to provide food in villages here but now we need to think ahead and plan together how we create better incomes from it- maintaining our commitment to nurture environment ”.  

About Seva Mandir 

Seva Mandir is an award- and highly renowned NGO started by Dr Mohan Singh Metha in 1968, that has been working on the development of rural and tribal communities based in the Udaipur and Rajsamand districts of southern Rajasthan for 50 years. Seva Mandir adopts a participatory approach which empowers communities to take charge of their development and ensure the long-term sustainability of individual projects. Seva Mandir’s scope has evolved over the years to include a variety of vital capacity building programmes, across education, natural resource development, health, early child and development, youth engagement and local governance.