The Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM) and the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen food, nutrition, health and sanitation initiatives across rural Arunachal Pradesh under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). The agreement was signed in Gaya, Bihar, on Thursday by ArSRLM State Mission Director Sangeeta Yirang and BRLPS State Mission Director Himanshu Sharma, IAS, in the presence of Swati Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, along with senior officials from both organisations. The three-year partnership aims to improve the implementation of Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) interventions across rural Arunachal Pradesh through technical cooperation, institutional support and capacity building.
Under the agreement, BRLPS, which has been designated as the National Resource Organisation (NRO) for the Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH programme, will provide technical assistance to ArSRLM. The support will include training programmes, mentoring, exposure visits, knowledge sharing and continuous handholding to strengthen programme implementation. Officials said the collaboration is expected to build the capacity of community institutions such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Panchayat Level Federations (PLFs) and Micro Cluster Level Federations (MCLFs). It will also enhance the skills of community resource persons and cadres so they can promote better food security, nutrition, health and sanitation practices among rural households. The partnership will further encourage convergence with various government departments to improve the delivery of essential services and ensure effective implementation of community-led development initiatives in villages across the state.
According to officials, the agreement reflects ArSRLM’s commitment to strengthening community-based Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH programmes while improving the overall quality of life of rural families in Arunachal Pradesh. Authorities expressed confidence that the partnership would help improve institutional capacities, encourage sustainable behavioural change and support the development of healthier, better-nourished and more resilient rural communities.
