A Smart village is a rural development vision to integrate multiple information and communication technology solutions in a secure fusion to manage a village assets-the cities assets include, but not limited to local departments information systems, schools, libraries, transportation system, hospitals, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement and other community services. According our Hon. Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi’s vision the goal of building a smart village is to improve quality of life by using technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet village residents needs.
This month Prime Minister Narendra Moddi’s concept of Adarsh Grama Yojana highlighted on Shiroor Village , which is very small village in Kundapur Taluka in Udupi District. It belongs to Mysore Division and located 38 km towards North from District head quarters Udupi. The programme was produced by Dr. Sadananda Perla. Perla interviewed with villagers and they expressed developmental activities of Village, needs of villagers, vision of Grama Panchayat, their demands etc., Gram Panchayat Dilshad Begam expressed fund problem from the Government for developmental activities. PDO Smt Nagaveni explained we are utilized all the funds granted by the Government. With the help of Governement and public, we developed local school infrastructure, roads and basic needs of the villagers.
Smart villages has three programmes aimed at improving the physical well-being of the rural poor. Women within the self help groups are given training in health awareness and preparation of food with nutritious. More formal care is provided by a trained nurse in health clinics. The nurse brings more formal first aid, immunizations and treatment of simple ailments to the villages. Also, the clinic maintains all health records which are useful for follow up visits by Government health Officials said by Rama Mesta, Vice President of Grama Panchayat. Marginal farmers face the greatest challenges of marketing to their farming, road connectivity and middle man. They are forced to quit farming, which reduces the financial health of the entire village said S. M. Sayeed, village pramukh.
Large area of land remain unproductive due to poor irrigation, soil erosion and genral depletion, aggravating the problem of marginal farms in the villages. Smart villages has helped to reclaim over 100 acres of such wasteland converting it into arable land, a source of job and nourishment for the people said Prakash Prabhu a businessman. Uppunda Chandrashekhar Holla said vocational training provides options to the unemployed and underemployed rural youth. He also added 314 persons are disabilities and literacy rate are 85%.
99% of the house holds are having electricity collections and at present 99% of families having mobile phones and 6 mobile towers in village, but internet facility is not available in all these areas. Schools and Colleges are not having internet connections and computers and they are suffering from basic facilties of information technology. 28 families are not having individual house hold toilets. To provide sanitation facility to these 28 families is big challenge said Narayana secretary of the society. All these interviews broadcast on 23.03.2016 at 8.50 Kalyana Vani programme, the village adopted by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Oscar Fernandes. A documentary feature produced by Dr. Sadananda Perla.
Contribution: K. Ashok, PEX, AIR, MANGALORE. Mob: 9449259218