Kalam’s mouse bridges great divide

In his hour-long PowerPoint presentation, Kalam said the same ‘can-do’ spirit was the guiding force of his food security plans — PURA (Providing Urban Amenities for Rural Areas) in Action — for rural India.

Part of the President’s 2020 Vision, the PURA urban-rural bridge plan received Cabinet approval on January 20. It is proposed to be implemented in 4,130 rural clusters in the next five years, with priority going to the North-Eastern states, other special category states and backward areas.

The plan envisages four kinds of connectivity — physical, electronic, knowledge-based and economic — all of which will contribute towards making India hunger-free by 2007. The buzzwords in this business enterprise with global dimensions: tele-education, tele-medicine and e-governance.

The PURA entrepreneur, according to the plan, will work with banks to evolve business plans and create infrastructural support for a particular rural conglomerate. Such conglomerates will be graded into four clusters: While Type A will cover settlements close an urban area with minimal road connectivity, infrastructure and educational and medical support, Type C will include the far interiors, with no connectivity or basic amenities.

Clear that each type of cluster will call for different interventions and management skills, Kalam suggested preparing small and medium industrialists — already experienced in managing their enterprises — for leadership of the PURA complexes, including schools, vocational training centres, chilling plants, silos, markets, banking and regional businesses.

While urging leading industrial houses to immediately identify and adopt PURA complexes in their areas, Kalam said the effort would require partnerships with banks, educational institutions, the government and private entrepreneurs.

Each PURA cluster is estimated to cost the government Rs 100-200 crore — sourced partly from Ministry of Rural Development funds — though NRIs, NGOs and corporates are also expected to pitch in.

The actual implementation, Kalam said, could be supervised by an apex body chaired by top management experts. This body will provide the policy guidelines for the entire PURA scheme, while five PURA corporations will oversee regional operations under chairmen.

After initial short-term employment, each PURA it will plan for providing employment opportunity to 3,000 people. The prosperity index of PURA will be governed by contributions to GDP, increase in income level and reduction in illiteracy. This will go a long way in availability of food at affordable prices and liveable habitat, said Kalam.