Large Area Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS) Scheme

The multi-purpose cooperative society was started by the Agricultural Department of the Reserve Bank of India. With the endorsement of Co-operative Planning Committee, the Multi-purpose societies were provided with finance for carrying out agricultural operations. The Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies for Tribal Areas in many states started to organise Large Area Multi-Purpose Societies (LAMPS) to benefit the tribal community in rural and semi-urban areas. The Ministry of Tribal Welfare has been elevating lives of thousands of tribal women and their families through LAMPS in West Bengal.

Objectives of LAMPS

The LAMPS is the flagship scheme of NSTFDC and Adhivasi Mahila Sashakt Yojna (AMSY) and its core objective is to encourage the tribal women to enhance their financial status by carrying out livelihood activities. Its other objectives are as follows:

To provide interest-free short-term loans or agricultural credit to tribal members for farming and agriculture.
To supply the necessary agricultural materials like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides at subsidised prices.
To provide financial assistance for the purchase of farm animals and cattle like pigs, sheep and plough bullocks with subsidised prices.
A free-of-cost supply of small agricultural machinery for better agricultural purposes.
To guide, educate and encourage the marketing of the agricultural products.
To provide consumption loan whenever the farmer needs with certain loan limit range.
To guide the landless agricultural farmers in collecting the minor forest products in order to provide seasonal employment.
To buy, sell and market the products that are acquired from the forests as minor products.
To assist the tribes with limited loans for Integrated Shopping Programme (ISP) to start small shops in villages as a separate aspect of LAMP.
To organise and encourage other livelihood activities to add and improve the social standard of all tribal members.

Functions of LAMPS

Tribal development in India is extremely multi-faceted. It is necessary to concentrate on the development of all aspects such as agriculture, industry, education, and living standards of the tribal people. In order to bring about the positive changes through NSTFDC in West Bengal, the West Bengal SC/ST Development & Finance Corporation and West Bengal tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Limited have collaborated together. The Scheme has benefited around 42000 tribal families in West Bengal. LAMPS carry out the following activities to bring about the progress in their lives:

Generating more employment opportunities for the tribal people by collecting and marketing their Minor Forest Produce.
Offering loans to the tribal women and assist them in helping in functioning their processing units and other livelihood related activities.
Support them in distributing essential supplies and other consumer articles to their members.
The scheme further encourages and supports the tribal women to participate in socio-economic activities and improve their financial contribution towards their family.
It promotes capacity building, creates the identity and helps them climb up the social ladder.
The LAMPS stand as guarantors for the tribal women to avail financial assistance from NSTFDC.

Women Empowerment through LAMPS

Economic independence is the main ingredient for the success and empowerment of women. Tribal Women are empowered in their own traditional way and there is relatively less social judgment owing to gender in the tribal society.
The economic activity undertaken by tribal women is traditional in nature like animal husbandry. It consists of house dairy, Goatery, piggery, duckery, sheep rearing or activity like Bubai Rope making, Sal leaf Plates making etc.
The intrusion through AMSY leading towards participation in economic activity and the contribution by women in the family income upholds the capacity building creating a Social Identity.
The latest success of the LAMPS is that majority of the Tribal Women had acquired the Bank Accounts. The passbook carrying their name and photo is a mark of identity and self-respect for them.

General Guidance

The NSTFDC allocate funds for the functions and beneficiary activities of the Tribal community. The general criteria include the following:

Funds are allocated at the beginning of every financial year by the NSTFDC to the respective State Channelising Agencies (SCAs).
The allocation of the fund is based on the proportion of the population density and the necessity of the respective Scheduled Caste and Tribes.
The SCAs are responsible for the segregation of the funds with the maintenance of a proper balance sheet.
The Balance Sheet should have the gender-wise details of the state, district, region and Territory based included.

Unit Cost

Almost 90% of the Cost is incurred by NSTFDC for the schemes and projects ranging up to5 Lakhsper unit cost
10% of the Cost is incurred by NSTFDC for the schemes and projects ranging more than5 Lakhsper unit cost. 10% of the unit project cost is taken for the beneficiary purpose and kept as buffer for lower budget projects.
The SCAs are the responsible bodies for the Balanced Sectoral approach while enrolling schemes or projects of NSTFDC. The ratio under which the fund is allocated is as follows:
55% of the funds are allocated to the Tribal members and Societies for enabling Agriculture and its allied Sector.
40% of the funds are allocated to the Tribal members and Societies for enabling Service Sector Including Transport Sector.
5% of the funds are allocated to the Tribal members and Societies for enabling the Industrial Sector.

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