----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 8:07
PM
Subject: [INDIA] CyberGrameen - a rural
project with a difference
CyberGrameen - a rural project with a
difference
15 January 2003, Hyderabad, India
Source: The Hindu
CYBERGRAMEEN is an IT initiative with a
difference. It seeks to empower people in the rural heartland of the country
leveraging the benefits of convergence technologies and thereby bridging the
digital divide.
In one such effort, the Swarna Bharat Trust promoted
by the Tripuraneni family, which is a promoter of the Rs 120-crore Spartek
group, has sought to empower people at the grassroots by bundling
entertainment, edutainment and host of services including healthcare through
these centres of convergence named CyberGrameen.
The Chairman and Managing Director of Spartek group
and the promoter of this project through the trust, Mr Krishna Prasad
Tripuraneni, told Business Line that pilot initiative, will be tested for some
time before replication in about 100 villages.
"We have initiated the pilot at Venkatachalam village
in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh located on the national highway. Once
this is tested and all necessary loose ends tightened, we plan to broaden its
scope and cover other areas with the participation of Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs) and Government support," Mr Prasad
explained.
"We had conceptualised this about a year ago to
develop such a project where we contribute to society in a small way and see
how we can make it financially viable and self sustaining. We have created a
2,500 sq ft facility where all community services, entertainment in the form
of television and a mini theatre are provided. While the entertainment will
provide some funds, this corpus will help support other general social
activities," he said.
This centre will have a facility where a farmer with
a small agricultural farm can know the latest in terms of what crop is ideally
suited for cultivation depending upon the demand and market
conditions.
"We plan to link these centres to various Government
agencies. This initiative is to be inaugurated later this week," he
said.
Supported by a
broadband network, villages can access information on primary, secondary and
college education, have latest updates on weather, technology and credit
facilities and also have the latest information on insurance and banking
services, Mr Prasad said.
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Ashish Kotamkar
(ashish@mithi.com)
Mithi Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Pune. India.
Web: http://www.mithi.com
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