The Hindu : First 'Cyber Grameen' launched in A.P.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

First 'Cyber Grameen' launched in A.P.

By Our Staff Reporter

NELLORE, JAN.17. In a major attempt to bring the remote rural areas into information technology fold, the first `Cyber Grameen,' a rural broadband venture, was launched by the BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, at Venkatachalam village in Nellore on Friday.

The ambitious project, set up by an NGO, Swarna Bharat Trust, aims at an IT convergence hub in the heart of rural India. By harnessing the power of rural internet broadband, the `Cyber Grameen Centre' will provide a basket of applications and services, stimulating village growth prospects.

The services to be provided include telephony, telemedicine, distance learning, high speed Internet/e-mail, retail store, agriculture/ horticulture, banking, insurance, video conferencing, digital entertainment and e-Governance encompassing delivery of Government services and information.

The launch itself was an on-line feat, with the Centre being inaugurated by Mr. Venkaiah Naidu at the remote village of Venkatachalam in the company of an entourage of Union Ministers, the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, interacting with them from Hyderabad and the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, joining them from New Delhi.

In the video interaction Mr. Chandrababu Naidu convinced the Central Ministers of the need for providing liberal funds for the overall development of Andhra Pradesh.

While lauding the efforts of the `Swarna Bharat' Trust and the organisers, including the BJP chief, the Chief Minister dwelt at length on the information revolution being witnessed in the State. The Chief Minister complimented the organisers for going in for rural broadband venture, which assured more reliability and continuity in operation.

Mr. Naidu, felt elated when the Union Minister for Urban Development, Anantha Kumar, pointed that it was Andhra Pradesh which had the country's first `Cyber Grameen' and not Karnataka (from where he hailed) and he will tell the same thing to the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna. The Union Minister assured all help to Andhra Pradesh from his Ministry. The Union Minister of State for Information Technology, Sumitra Mahajan, complimented the Chief Minister.

Ms. Sushma Swaraj read out a neatly prepared Telugu text and hailed the `Cyber Grameen' concept, which attempted to bridge the gap between rural and urban masses. She described Mr. Venkaiah Naidu as a `Grama nivasi.'

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