Rajkot Pilot Project

Author : Mathew George
Date added : 1999-09-24

Brief Project Background

Pre-investment feasibility study report on provision of telecommunications and information infrastructure in the rural areas of Rajkot District for sustainable developement.

Results

It all started with the International Telecommunications Union nominating me as the Financial Expert for the pre-investment feasibility study for a rural information infrastrucure project for Rajkot District in Gujrat State of India in April 1997. Having worked for about 20 years in Telecom organizations serving large geographical areas, this project seemed to be cut out for me. I put my heart and soul in the survey, data analysis, financial appraisal and preparation of the report. The report was ready in September 97 and since then the same is being discussed in different platforms, but without any effective steps for implementation.However I am confident that the concept will catch on in spite of the initial apathy, if not in Rajkot, some where else and if not now, some time later.May be it is waiting for the the magical touch of a handsome prince.
Rajkot is located in the northwestern part of India, a small peninsular landmass abutting in to the Arabian Sea. The place is associated with Mahatma Gandhi who cherished the dream of economically stable rural India. Perfectly in line with Gandhian economics, the Rajkot Telecenter Project conceives a cost effective way of extending several community sevices which are usually available only in urban centers to remote villages. The idea is built around "community tele-centers" that will provide tele-medicine for health care, tele-trading for selling agricultural produce, tele-administration for for implementing the various rural developement programs of the local Government, services like telephone bill collection, new phone registration,fax and phone services etc. on behalf of the PTT, tele-education, computer training, photo copying, word-processing etc. The main objectives of the Project are (1) to integrate the facilities of telecommunications to the strategies of health care improvement, employment generation, education, administration and other areas of rural developement and (2) to extend the benefits of modern technology to the rural community. A field survey was conducted to assess the socio-economic conditions, infrastructure facilities, basic amenities and needs of the targeted population.The survey pointed to the primary requirements of the rural people for a wholesome life and the price they have to pay for the same at present. Medical and educational facilities in the villages were far from satisfactory, farmers have to depend on greedy middlemen for agricultural trading, and the benefits of developement schemes of local Government were not reaching the ultimate beneficiaries often. Telecenter Project tried to address all these issues and the pre investment feasibility study has found it bankable on certain assumptions. Joint efforts of local, national and international partners were envisaged. ITU, Dept. of Telecom, Govt. of India, State Govt. of Gujrat and a few other agencies have come forward to be partners in the venture. Still it finds itself diffident to take off. May be, to everything there is a season.

Lessons

The project is now waiting for for a final nod from Govt. of India and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the partners.
The entire report running to about 100 pages with statistical data and financial analysis can be made available to those who are genuinely interested.

Project Information

Total budget in US$ : -

Contact Information

Mathew George

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