Cluster Pulse launches Smart Village project in Kandaramanickam Near Madurai
જગત શાહ મદુરાઈ માં સ્માર્ટ વિલેજ માટે
Cluster Pulse launches smart village project in State
Jagat Shah, founder-chairm
US citizen of Indian origin adopts a village
Cluster Pulse, the Ahmedabad-based economic development agency, which had been developing model smart villages after identifying 62 villages in the country, launched the ‘smart village’ project at Kandaramanickam near here on Sunday, marking its foray in Tamil Nadu.
After identifying six villages in the State for the project, Mr. Jagat Shah, founder-chairman of Cluster Pulse, began his work in Kandaramanickam, a remote and pristine village after M.C. Madhavan, who hailed from the village and presently settled in San Diego in the US, came forward to adopt the village for development.
Mr. Shah meant business that was evident as he visited the entire village with Mr. Madhavan on the very first day and identified areas for development with community participation and empowering the youth and women with knowledge and skill to take on the challenges and enhance their income earning capacities.
While visiting, he found the local primary health centre was in ‘dire state’ with no shelter for waiting patients. Believed in ‘action @ speed of thought’ philosophy, he appointed a contractor on the spot to erect a shed at the cost of ₹1.5 lakh. The shed should be in place in 10 days, he ordered.
“We are here to make the village smart in all spheres within 1,000 days and showcase the village as a model to be replicated in the six lakh villages in the country,” Mr Shah told The Hindu. Migration of youth for cities and towns could be totally stopped, if village became smart, he said.
After conceiving the smart village concept, Mr. Shah discussed the idea with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on his suggestion, undertook 78-day-long business drive in the US in June, covering 32 cities, looking for US citizens of Indian origin who would be interested in adopting their native villages. Mr Madhavan was the first to be impressed, Mr. Shah said.
Mr. Madhavan had left the village in 1960 to the US to pursue his doctorate degree. He was the first Indian to join the World Bank before serving as Professor of Economics in Sand Diego.
He had been living there for the past five decades but kept in touch with his village, making visits every year.
“I have been doing lot of work in San Diego but it’s nothing like working for the development of my village,” he said. Apart from arranging financial support for various projects, he would be the chief coordinator of the project.
Mr. Shah has chalked out 10 business ideas for the village – all using locally available resources. Technologies were available for making urinals using plastic wastes, solar cookers, bio-gas plants, solar power and wind power generators, he said adding he proposed to bring in the womenfolk to be part of the economy. Farmers would be encouraged to cultivate millets instead of paddy in the rain starved village and the younger generation would be helped to set up units to make value added products, using the millets, he said.
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