World Bank approves $120M Social Strengthening Project for Bihar

World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening Project, with a Budget of $120 Millions. The project aims to be completed by 2020 and would be implemented by Rural Development Department and Social Welfare Department of Government of Bihar. World Bank has initially committed $84 Million to the Finance Ministry of India for this purpose.

The development objective of the Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening Project for India is to strengthen institutional capacity of the Department of Social Welfare and the Rural Development Department to deliver social protection programs and services and expand outreach of social care services for poor and vulnerable households, persons with disabilities, older persons, and widows in the state of Bihar.

The project has two components: the first component, strengthening social protection systems and capacity will strengthen core systems and capacity of the Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS) and the State Society for Ultra-Poor and Social Welfare (SSUPSW), which are the program implementation arms of the Rural Development Department and the Department of Social Welfare respectively, at the state, district, and block levels.

This component has two sub-components: (i) strengthening systems and capacity for safety net delivery; and (ii) strengthening systems and capacity for social pension and social care service delivery.The second component is establish and strengthen social care services. This component will support establishing social care services across the state through social care service centers (referred to as Buniyad centers) that will provide high quality care, support, and rehabilitation services for older persons, widows, and persons with disabilities. It has following three sub-components: (i) establish and strengthen social care services; (ii) pilot models in social protection delivery; and (iii) innovation window.

Ms. Jessica Leigh Leino has been appointed as the representative of World Bank in this project.