I am delighted to participate in the inauguration of "Suvarna Gramodaya" Rural Development initiative of the Government of Karnataka. I understand that the programme aims at upgrading the physical environment, increasing the productive capacity of agriculture and other land based activities, human resource development opening up of avenues for non-agricultural employment and community building activities in 1000 selected villages of Karnataka every year. I greet the Karnataka State Government, members of the local bodies, village citizens of the 1000 villages and distinguished guests.

When I am with you I am reminded of the inauguration of Chhatisgarh Bhaktara PURA in Arang Tehsil of Raipur District. This PURA complex covering 22 villages with a population of 36,000 people is coming up and very soon it will be a vibrant PURA with high quality 4 lane roads with Battery operated and Bio-diesel buses, 1000 modern dwelling units, quality health care facility with 250 bed hospital and a state-of-the-art school by DAV Institution and paramedical and nursing training institutions. The Corporate have committed to establish these facilities linked to the schedule of commission of the PURA within next 5 years. I thought of sharing this experience with you so that the corporates and NGOs of Karanataka can become partners in the development of these 1000 villages centred around Srinivas Saradegi of Gulbarga District.

I would like to give my visualization of the village complexes centred around Srinivas Saradegi.

Srinivas Saradegi complex in 2012

This complex would have transformed into a dynamic rural complex with focus on employment potential for atleast 50% of the families of the villages and provision of three Connectivities like physical connectivity, electronic connectivity, knowledge connectivity, leading to economic connectivity. This complex should have its umbilical connectivity with the Gulbarga university. Let us visualize how the village complexes will get transformed by the year 2012:

a) The 6 lakh dwelling units will be pucca houses with clean water supply, solar electrification and sanitation facilities using green building concept.

b) The village complex will realize 100% literacy among the 30 lakh citizens.

c) Apart from upgrading the existing schools, the complex will have few colleges, world class vocational training institutions in construction, carpentry, welding natural art; Computer maintenance and Services, IT Enabled Services, BPO and Call Center. Sakshat programme - a one stop education portal will be used through internet for capacity building in all the village complexes.

d) The people in the complex will be able to get quality healthcare through tele-medicine and also through mobile clinics via PHC. They will be brought under a corporate medical healthcare scheme on the lines of Narayana Hrudayalaya "Yeshaswini" scheme.

e) This village complex will be free from diseases like polio, TB, leprosy and malaria and other waterborne diseases. The infant mortality rate will be brought down to less than 10.

f) The complex will promote horticulture and floriculture products, apart from agriculture in collaboration with the University of Agriculture Dharwad.

g) There will be agro-processing industries for fruits like banana, pomegranate and fig. Garment industries for gurumikal dhotis, cotton industry for fashion designed bamboo products, BPOs, and one-village complex multiple products scheme, for providing non-farm employment to atleast 6 lakh youth of the village complexes within the next five years.

h) Dairy will be functional producing over 30 lakh ltrs of milk per day supplying to the whole district and conversion of milk products. This dairy will be established in collaboration with institutions like BAIF.

i) All the water bodies in the village clusters will be operational and used for water harvesting using water shed management scheme.

j) The per capita income of the village complex will be three times the present per capita income.

Of course to achieve the above performance, a dynamic management system is very vital. This has to be evolved with the active participation of the State Government, District authorities, NGOs, educational institutions, small scale industries or an enterprise in association with the Panchayat. Finally it has to be managed as a viable and sustainable business proposition through the local entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

The entire village complex has to function as a viable sustainable business entity providing certain value added quality services to the rural community and opportunities for entrepreneurial growth in the rural sector. The unit as a whole should aim to improve the quality of life and welfare of the rural community encouraging reverse migration of urban people to rural areas. Also, the unit should enable preservation and nurturing of cultural heritage of the region. Suvarna Gramodaya scheme should be implemented as a participative endeavour between all the stake holders namely, people of the villages, elected members, entrepreneurs, members of the state government, central government and societal transformers.

In a democracy always there will be a situation when new projects will be launched in a state when one party is governing and another party is in the opposition. In development politics change of ruling party should not become the cause for reversing the development process which have already been initiated, and the citizens should not become the victim of the change. Always there should be a healthy competition in development.

With these words I inaugurate the Suvarna Gramodaya Rural Development initiative programme of the Karnataka Government. My best wishes to all members 1000 villages adjoining Srinivas Saradegi success in their mission of transforming the region into a prosperous, happy and secure rural complex of Karnataka. Let this mission spread to the whole state.

May God bless you.

Now I would like to administer a seven point Oath. Will you repeat it with me? Are you ready?

Declaration by the village citizens

1. Children are our precious wealth.

2. I will give equal importance for male and female children in providing education and rights for growth of our society.

3. I shall always keep myself, my home, my surroundings, neighbourhood and environment clean and tidy.

4. I will help to improve agricultural production in our villages.

5. I will strive for creating employment opportunities for our youth.

6. I will become the role model for our children.

7. I will work for establishing equity and social justice in our society to realize the dream of Suvarna Gramodaya.

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