FGD held to shape Hazaribag’s City Livelihood Action Plan

PNS

Hazaribag

A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was organised in Hazaribag as part of the preparation of the City Livelihood Action Plan (C-LAP) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). The event brought together elected representatives, government officials, community organisations, academics, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), street vendors and other stakeholders to discuss livelihood challenges and opportunities in the city.

The C-LAP has been under preparation for the past four months, during which a socio-economic survey was conducted across municipal wards to assess employment patterns, income levels, skills, access to financial services and awareness of welfare schemes among vulnerable groups. The FGD was organised to validate survey findings and gather community inputs.

The meeting was attended by Hazaribag Mayor Arvind Kumar, representatives of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, the District Industries Centre, municipal officials, ward councillors and community representatives.

Participants highlighted limited employment opportunities for youth, skill gaps, restricted access to finance, weak market linkages for micro-enterprises and challenges faced by street vendors and informal workers. They stressed the need for demand-driven skill development, stronger industry linkages, entrepreneurship promotion, improved access to credit and greater support for women-led enterprises.

The recommendations from the discussion will be incorporated into the C-LAP, which aims to serve as a roadmap for employment generation, entrepreneurship development and inclusive economic growth in Hazaribag. The exercise was supported by the Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design.