Warana The Case of an Indian Rural Community

Warana: The Case of an Indian Rural Community Adopting ICT By, Simone Cecchini & Monica Raina Presented By, Carol Savia Peters 07808011

Characteristics - Warana Village • Well Developed Rural Area , Near Kolhapur In Maharastra • Strong Co-operative Movement – Warana Group Of Co-operatives (WGC) • Sugarcane And Dairy Farming • Good Infrastructure – Uninterrupted Power Supply

‘ Wired Village’ – Objectives • Launched In 1998 As A Collaboration Between The National Informatics Centre , The Govt Of Maharashtra, The Warana Vibhag Shikshan Mandal And WGC • Increase The Efficiency And Productivity Of The Sugarcane Co-operative • Give Villagers Access To Information In Local Language About Crops And Agricultural Market Prices, Employment Schemes From The Government Of Maharashtra, And Educational Opportunities

How The Project Works • Fifty-Four Functioning Village Information Kiosks That Are Facilitating The Sugar Cane Production Process At Three Stages • 1 st Stage : During The Yearly Registration For Plantation When Changes To Property Are Recorded • 2 nd Stage : Issuance Of Harvesting Permits • 3 rd Stage : Payments Information

• Receive Payment Slips For Their Crops • Farmers Can Purchase Fertiliser At Deposits Located Next To The Kiosks In Cash Or By Using Credit • Depending On The Size Of The Village 30 -100 Farmers Visit The Kiosk Daily • PC With A Printer And Most Are Connected To The Sugar Administrative Building Via Wireless Telephony • Some Use Floppy Disks To Save Information As Telephone Bills Are High • Kiosks Also Have Email And Internet Access (Slow Connections)

Benefits of the Project • Increased Efficiency Of Sugarcane Growing And Harvesting As Time Is Saved In Administrative Transactions • Transparency Of Payments • One Visit To The Kiosk – Saves 2 -3 Days • Fertilizer Stocks Are Now Smaller And Better Managed - Savings Of About US$750, 000 To The Cooperative

Potential For New ICT Applications • Internet Vs Telephones • Easy Access To New Techniques Of Cultivation And Agricultural Practices • Information In Local Language • Usefulness Of Sending Grievances And Downloading Government Forms • Computer Training For The Youth

Key Lessons • Assessing the Information Needs of the Community • Local Ownership and Participation • Women and Poor Peoples Access • Empowering Grassroots Operators