Morung Express News
Kohima | March 15
PRESIDENT OF India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam today said that development of rural areas will need the creation of 20 cluster villages having an average population ranging from fifty thousand to one lakh.
“This could be achieved with the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) programme for these clusters,” Dr. Kalam said in his address at the 2nd convocation of Nagaland University here. The number of villages in Nagaland is over 1046 with a population of around 20 lakhs based on the 2001 census.
This, Dr. Kalam said, would involve identification of a cluster of 40 to 50 villages with growth potential and creating physical connectivity, electronic connectivity, knowledge connectivity and thereby market connectivity.
In this respect, Dr. Kalam recommended to the Nagaland University to undertake project work for creation of at least 11 PURAs in the 11 districts in Nagaland.
The objectives of these PURAs, according to Dr. Kalam, will be to provide dwelling units to all village citizens with clean water supply and sanitation facilities; the village complex will have 100 per cent literacy, apart from upgrading existing schools; the complex will have a few colleges world class vocational training institutions in construction, carpentry, welding, natural art, computer maintenance and services, IT Enabled services, BPO and call centers. The “Sakshat” programme, a one-stop education portal, will be used through the internet for capacity-building in this region.
Other areas included, people in the PURA complex will be able to get quality healthcare through tele-medicine and also through mobile clinics via Primary Health Centres. They will be brought under a corporate medical healthcare scheme; each PUA village complex will be free from diseases like Polio, HIV AIDS, TB, leprosy and malaria and other waterborne diseases. The infant mortality rate will be less than 10; the PURA complex will promote horticulture and floriculture products, apart from agriculture in collaboration with agricultural institutions in the region.
It also included creation of dairy and fish farms in each PURA complex for providing additional non-farm, revenue to farmers. They can also produce other dairy products.
Revival of all existing water bodies in the PURA cluster and create new water bodies in low lying areas for storage of water. Provision of employment to all employable people of the village through additional jobs in dairy, agro-processing, construction, handicraft, lifestyle products and tourism enterprises is also included.
Overall, the per capita income of the PURA cluster should increase by three times and people living below the poverty line should come down to zero in six year, the President said.
Dr. Kalam was optimistic that many of the graduates from Nagaland University will create enterprises in many PURA complexes in Nagaland and improve the lifestyle of the village community and be an active partner in Developed India Mission.
