Hubballi: A group of techies including Americans of Indian origin have voluntarily taken up a joint venture to turn little hamlets into ‘Smart Village’ on the lines of the ‘Smart City’ project being implemented by the Central government.
They have chosen Badagandi village, the native hamlet of IT & BT minister S.R. Patil in Bilagi taluk of Bagalkot district as a pilot project for their new initiative. They are planning to provide all basic infrastructure to the villagers apart from enlightening them on technological advancements.
They are also contemplating attracting small scale industries to the village which is ravaged by recurring droughts to stop migration of rural people to urban areas in search of employment.
Badagandi, situated on the National Highway between Hubballi and Bijapur, has around 3,000 people.
The group of techies is planning to cater to all basic needs including drinking water, electricity, education and health care within a timeframe of one year.
As many as ten techies have voluntarily contributed funds by setting up e-kisan Foundation and also roped in several donors for their project without seeking assistance from the government. They also intend to provide all guidance to farmers to protect the fertility of the soil and encourage organic farming, ground water harvesting and marketing of their farm produce.
This is the first-of-its kind private venture taken up by techies in the state similar to the initiative by the corporate sector in Akodara village of Gujarat.
“We are planning to inspire other Gram Panchayats through our initiative to develop their villages with the help of the corporate sector. We will provide potable water and toilet facilities apart from constructing good roads. We have adopted the village to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swarajya,” said Srikanta Bhaskar, the member of e-kisan Foundation.
Plans are afoot to popularise solar energy by distributing solar lights among the households. The techies are also planning to provide all medical assistance to pregnant women at their doorsteps with the help of doctors keen to serve in rural areas.
