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World Bank approves $452 million program to enhance connectivity in Assam
The focus of the program is to improve access to essential services for over 1.8 million people.
World Bank approves $452 million program to enhance connectivity in Assam / World Bank
With an aim to boost connectivity and resilience for rural communities in Assam, India, the World Bank has approved the Assam Resilient Rural Bridges program.
The program aims to improve access to essential services for over 1.8 million people, especially during extreme weather conditions. It further seeks to bridge the gap in infrastructure and uplift livelihoods in the region, according to a World Bank statement.
Auguste Tano Kouamé, World Bank’s country director for India, emphasized the program’s potential impact, noting, “The program will support the Government of Assam to attract private investment for quality jobs, increase farmers’ incomes and enhance value chains thus promoting inclusive and diversified growth in the rural sector.”
The program, funded through a $452 million loan from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), employs a blend of financing instruments, including Program-for-Results (PforR) and Investment Project Financing (IPF), the statement added.
This approach ensures that funds are disbursed directly in alignment with achieved results while providing technical assistance.
Some of the key objectives of the program, include strengthening the resilience and management of roads and bridges to facilitate year-round access to wholesale markets, schools, hospitals, and workplaces for communities affected by climate events.
Furthermore, it will empower nearly 633,000 women-led textile and handicraft producers living within proximity to roads or collection points.
“In addition, it will help increase women’s participation by almost 20 percent in jobs related to bridge design, construction, and maintenance, as well as operating digital platforms at rural transportation hubs,” noted Tesfamichael Mitiku, Anup Karanth, and BKM Ashraful Islam - task team leaders for the program.
The program also prioritizes strengthening the Assam Public Works Roads Department’s financial and procurement processes, utilizing the state’s own systems, and providing training to enhance disaster risk management.
With a maturity period of 19 years and a grace period of 4.5 years, the program sets a strategic pathway towards inclusive growth, infrastructure development, and resilience building in rural Assam.
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