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 BEST Price for my garlic
Access to
Countrywide rates of agricultural produce means farmers would no be cheated by brokers
She missed it by one day. Padma Bai, 46, farmer from Tirla village of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh(MP),sold her garlic produce for Rs 17 per kg the day before she first came across a computer. When she found out
that the going rate was much higher in Chennai, it set her thinking:"I had no clue about the actual market price. Brokers often dupe farmers like me. Next time."The computer that has given her this confidence-and the
chances of better returns next season-has been provided under a programme of the district administration called Gyandoot(Which means'ambassador of Knowledge').
In the five block of Dhar
district, 26 major centers are connected through an intranet network. Each center services about 15 gram panchayats (village council) and about 25-30 village. The benefits reach over half a million people in more
than 600 village. Under Gyandoot a computer is installed in a soochanalaya (information center) in a Gram Panchayat. These also work as rural cybercafes connected by telephone lines. Users of these centres are charged
on the basis of services provided.
The computer are operated by unemployed youth who have completed high school. Their selection and training is done by the Panchayats. System maintenance is
entirely their responsibility, as are all the running costs. There is no salary and the service charges are the only source of income. The Panchayat Charges a commission of 10 per cent on the income."More such centres
might be set upthrough funds from Panchayats, private investors and bank loans to individuals. In future, entrepreneurs can purchase computers and set up more such centers under the employment schemes,"says Rajesh Rajora,
Collector of Dhar.
Any resident of
dhar can check the market rates on computers or demand
copies of land records. They can demand copies of land
records. They can email complaints to the
administration. Reply and action is assured. Gyanddot,
Launched in January 2000, was given the Stockholm
Challenge Award for public service and democracy among
109 project from across the world.
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