State - August 8, 2025

MoU Signed Between Rajeevika and RVJBVVS to Support Livelihoods of Forest-Dependent Communities

team maverick August 8, 2025

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Jaipur, Aug 2025 – The Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (Rajeevika) and the Rajasthan Vaniki evam Jaiv Vividhata Vikas Samiti (RVJBVVS) signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday. This collaboration marks a significant step towards strengthening the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities and connecting them with alternative, sustainable, and diversified livelihood opportunities.

The agreement has been signed specifically under the Rajasthan Forest and Biodiversity Development Project (RFBDP), implemented by RVJBVVS in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department. The project, co-financed by AFD France, is being implemented from 2023–24 to 2030–31 across 800 villages in 13 districts of Rajasthan.

Under the project, 1,200 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) will be formed and empowered, later to be organized into Village Organizations (VOs) and Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs). The objective is to connect forest-dependent communities with alternative means of livelihood.

Rajeevika, the state government’s key nodal agency, has so far formed over 4.20 lakh SHGs, playing a leading role in empowering nearly 5 million rural women. Rajeevika links SHGs with financial institutions, government schemes, and income-generating activities.

This MoU represents a strong partnership aimed at empowering SHGs through the coordinated use of both organizations’ resources, capacity building, financial linkages, skill development, and income-generating initiatives.

On this occasion, Mrs. Neha Verma, State Mission Director of Rajeevika, and Mr. S. R. V. Murthy, Project Director of RFBDP, signed the MoU. Senior officials from the Forest Department, including Mr. P. K. Upadhyay (PCCF & HoFF), Mrs. Shikha Mehra (PCCF), Mr. Anurag Bhardwaj (PCCF – WP & FS and IT), Mr. K. C. A. Arun Prasad (APCCF FCA), and Mr. Kapil Chandrawal (Additional Project Director, RFBDP), along with other officers from both departments, were also present.