Kalam hopes project will help improve life in 1,098 villages

GULBARGA: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who launched the Suvarna Gramodaya Project by beating the "Nagari" (traditional drum) at Srinivas Saradgi village on Sunday, hoped that the project would help improve the quality of life in the 1,098 selected villages with increased opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Dr. Kalam devoted most of his 12-minute address to visualising the projected development in the selected villages and complimented the Government for its plan to include 1,000 villages every year under the project.
He said the success of the project depended on the management of the funds available and the participation of government agencies, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions and small industries.
He said the Government should take steps to ensure that per capita income in these villages increased three times and the villagers became literate.
The President stressed the need for optimum utilisation of the water available in these villages for their economic improvement by reviving the water bodies.
Dr. Kalam said for achieving the objective of overall development of the villages and their economic empowerment, the Government should take initiatives by propagating horticulture and floriculture along with traditional agricultural practice. Agro processing units and garment units and small industries should also come up in these villages. Only a multiple production scheme of all commodities available in the villages would ensure their orderly progress. He said the Government should give importance to providing health facilities and these villages should be made free of diseases such as tuberculosis, polio and malaria. Infant mortality rate should be brought down to 10 per 1,000 at the end of 2012, he said. People in these villages should be extended telemedicine facilities. The Yeshaswini Health Insurance Scheme should be extended to the people of these villages, he said. These villages should be provided with amenities such as drinking water, drainage, sanitation and solar lighting and every family should be given a house to live in.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan spoke. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister C.M. Udasi welcomed the gathering. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly N. Dharam Singh was present.

Source : Hindu