Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

BACK TO THE FUTURE -2050 AD?


Times of India [21 May, 2012 ] reports about the existence of an Indian village which you would not expect to come across till 2050

Here are the details:

  • Name of village / State
Punsari (Himmatnagar/Gujarat)
  
  • Recognition
Voted best Gram Panchayat ( out of 240,000 ) by Govt of India
  
  • What does it have ( that is futuristic ) ?
  
  • WiFi to cover village

  • Optical Fibre Broadband Network

  • Air conditioned Schools

  • CCTV cameras in class-rooms to watch over teachers

  • Schools with zero drop out rates

  • 25+ CCTV at street junctions to catch litterbugs

  • Mini-bus transport system

  • Rs 1 lakh insurance cover for each of the 6000 villagers

  • Rs 25,000 Med claim policy for each villager

  • Reverse Osmosis plant to supply 20 liter clean water to each house for Rs 4 /- ( Dean Kamen, take heart ! )

  • How did Panchayat ( Village Council ) manage this miracle ?

  • By managing its own funds well

  • By better management of funds received from State / Central Governments

  • By selling part of village grazing land as plotted schemes to various communities

  • Village Panchayat ( Council ) capital has gone up from Rs 25,000 five years ago to Rs 75 lakhs today

  • By villagers agreeing on a co-operative approach to development

  • What “ obvious “ factor did Times of India leave unstated  ?
  
  • There are no corrupt people in the village panchayat
  
  • My suggestions to Punsari Village Panchayat

  • Invite Management Institutes to prepare case-study

  • Request Peter / Steven ( Authors ) to write a sequel to their excellent book,” Abundance: Future is better than you think “

  • Build a 3 star hotel in village – then invite Panchayats from all over India to send delegations on Study Tours . One more source of income . The Panchayat has a name for it :

                      “ Development  Tourism “ !




Hemen  Parekh 

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