Alan ChaiThe Selangor state government yesterday handed Selangorku grants to some successful applicants at a short ceremony held in Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya.
The event was graced with the presence of Selangor state exco member Elizabeth Wong and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The RM300 million allocation for the grants is a result of savings from the restructuring of Talam debts as well as better management of land based on the concept of development at market price. Both of these initiatives combined saw the state government saving more than RM600 million.
The Selangor state government then decided to channel these funds into special projects which had a direct and immediate impact on Selangor and its people which is known as Selangorku Grants or Geran Selangorku.
The RM300 million Selangorku grants are then divided to different focal areas, such as infrastructure, women empowerment, young entrepreneurship and so on.
The protection and rehabilitation of the environment is not forgotten either, with RM5 million specifically allocated for projects and initiatives in this area.
Because there are still plenty of funds remaining in the allocation for environmental projects, Elizabeth urged as many people to submit proposals or if they know someone who might have an interesting idea, then they should be informed of this opportunity.
The criteria for Selangorku grant applications are rather simple.
1. Projects must be value for money;
2. For infrastructural projects, there must be no conflict of interest between the contractor and the project proposer;
3. Projects must help to empower the people and not just projects for the sake of giving out contracts;
4. Projects must be self-sustainable and emphasise on skill building; and,
5. Emphasis on efficient execution, close monitoring and quality control.
Only registered bodies can apply which includes NGOs, resident associations and non-profit companies.
“One key criterion for project approval is the ability to execute rapidly. This is why the emphasis is on smaller, local projects that involve the local communities instead of massive projects that are top down,” she added.
For more information: Selangor Environmental Conservation Grants.
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