Indian villages may have 'Info Kiosks'

| 23 March 2000 23:47 IST

Indian countryside would not be deprived of seeking advantage of the ongoing era of information technology if what Dr Rashmi Mayur, an environmental scientist, thinks comes true.

The International Institute for Sustainable Future, of which Dr Mayur is the director, has plans to set up 'information kiosks' at least in 25 villages of the country, so that the village market is connected to the global market through internet.

To begin with, he is identifying two to three villages in Goa, where even the village structure is of semi-urban nature with a widespread telephone network while people are also conversant with English.

"I want to see the village farmer having connectivity with the world market", says Dr Mayur, to sell his agriculture produce and also to seek information on all sorts of new inventions in the agro sector, which could develop tremendously with the help of IT.

The kiosk, which may cost around Rs 2.5 lakh each, would be a centre with telephones, computers, internet connection, flood warning system, educational training, health awareness facilities and even a machinery for family planning initiative.

The IISF has started 15 such information kiosks in Ghana with financial support from the USA, informs Dr Mayur, which have been running successfully. Following Goa, he plans to contact Maharashtra, where the IISF is actually working in the environmental field.

"We have liked the idea and decided to financially support 25 such kiosks in India", says Steve Puthuff, chairman of SyberSay Communications Corporation of California. He is entering the Indian market with his unique IT-related wireless devices.

Stating that 11 million people migrate to cities and towns in India every year, Dr Mayur hopes that this trend could be reversed if the underprivileged villages also start running with the pace of the changing world and adapt to the era of information technology.

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