Web bihartimes.com Share your ideas with us...     05/01/2006 BIHAR - OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT VISION 2010 1. Model Integrated Intensive Farming Unit Coverage of all farm based activities including agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy and related areas through adoption of modern techniques & this unit will do innovative technology. This unit will be equipped to support all the farming efforts in the community through providing quality inputs on seeds, fertilizers, feeds, irrigation, modern equipment, tools, techniques, veterinary medicines, pre & post harvest package of practices, marketing strategy & linkages. Promotion of Organic farming as a successful way of farming will be a key feature of this unit. Community approach in terms of sharing of techniques & tools in all the activities will be promoted. 2. Basic Rural Infrastructure Unit Provision of basic amenities to provide dignity of life & improvement in quality of living of rural masses through self-help will be undertaken by this unit. The chosen areas of activity will cover irrigation facilities (minor and micro irrigation), clean drinking water, primary health (emergency services, regular healthcare, family planning, nutrition and infant care), sanitation (community services), basic infrastructure education (primary and adult), connectivity (all weather link roads to townships) and communication (basic rural telephony). The focus of providing these amenities will be on common participation and training of people in upkeep and maintenance of these facilities. 3. Information Dissemination Unit This unit will be a information base providing inputs to the community on cultural & historical heritage (preservation of social practices, local arts, crafts and melas), employment opportunities (village arts & crafts, tools, implements and agro based rural enterprises), environmental awareness (social and agro forestry, use of solar energy and bio-gas) and technology adoption (customizing latest technologies to local conditions). The unit will function as a problem-solving base for local problems linked to information shortfalls and use multi-media for information dissemination. 4. Resource Training Unit This unit is proposed to function as a resource base for providing training & expertise to the community in diverse areas of agriculture, health, cultural practices, employment skills, education and maintenance of common utilities. Use of workshops conducted by local and outside experts for development of cottage and small scale industry and self help groups for promotion of entrepreneur skills is also envisaged. This unit will also undertake "Train the Trainer" activities in various areas to promote a skilled resource base within the community. 5. Trained Manpower Unit This unit will focus on promoting the through a well knit and trained manpower resource to undertake the different governmental program. C. BENCHMARKING ACHIEVEMENTS & REPLICATION The achievements under the Model Plan will be benchmarked to evaluate the levels of success under each of the designated activity unit and to undertake modifications, if required. It is anticipated that largely the following benefits would accrue directly from the model plan: § Economically independent rural community actively contributing to the regional and national economy. Migration of rural youth to cities & towns for employment would be checked. § Improvement in living conditions leading to healthier and confident people who are not prone to exploitation. § Revival of self-respect and values through universal basic education leading to awareness of individual rights and responsibilities towards community and country. § Re-discovery of eroding cultural heritage and strengthening of social bonds through revival of local arts, crafts and events. § Promotion of concept of self-help and community welfare leading to active participation of masses in construction and preservation of public amenities. § A reservoir of resource persons trained under the model who could be assigned for replication of these activities all across the State at a fraction of the costs and time. Urgent need is to upgrade the knowledge of farmers about these losses and probably train them to understand modern methods of cultivation practices and post harvest management. In the local village agricultural markets in India the prices given to the farm produce is not enough for farmers and therefore further investment they can not afford in the advance agricultural inputs. Hence, by watching these, it is urgently needed to give better price of farmers produce by opening wider marketing network. Consequently, forward integration of industry with agriculture would ensure that the benefits of development percolate to the grassroots level even poor among the poorest. Improved performance of the agriculture sector is essential to sustain the growing population, provide new jobs to villagers and accelerate growth and earn foreign exchange through agro-exports. POSSIBLE USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN BIHAR We would like to adapt the following innovative technologies for developmental solutions in the state of Bihar: - · BIO- TECHNOLOGY · RAIN - FED FARMING · HI-TECH INTEGRATED DAIRY · VALUE ADDITION CENTRES FOR HORTICULTURE CROPS · Hi - TECH GROWING (Normal/Organic farming) · GROWING OF EXOTIC PRODUCE · HERBAL AND MEDICINAL PARK · FOOD PROCESSING CENTER · RURAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER · EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY · AGRI-HORTICULTURE TOURISM · SMALL COTTAGE INDUSTRY comment comments... I am sure articles like these would add to the sense of optimism ( as pessimism has plagued our state for a long time) and resultant determination of the reader to initiate and help the process of positive change. I feel indebted to the writer and it makes me happy and hopeful as a native Bihari to read such enlightening views. I shall like to add some process (of change) related issues to the ideas.The process could be Top-down, Bottoms Up or a mixture of the two. I say this because I am acutely aware of failures of most of the plans suggested/implemented by the government from Harit-Kranti to Berojgaar Bus Routes Permits to Industrial estates in Patliputra Colony and in Fatuha to name a few. In my opinion planners and implementers would have to consider 1. Risks ( personal, economic, social and political ) factors related to the suggested ideas, 2. Explore of economic factors related to the proposals both at macro and micro levels, 3. Have public awareness and opinion formation and develop public 'stake-holding' (including different strata of our society) related to developmental projects 4. Have transparent analyses/reporting of uptake and rejection of the ideas/projects ( mentioning the examples of best and worst practice) News journals are best placed to help develop the transparency process 5. Have Public Interest groups actively involved in the process of change (initiation, monitoring, and modification). Its is good to see PILs (Public Interest Litigations coming up in our society). It would be very helpful to have our economists, social scientists, historians and political scientists comment and participate in the process; and perhaps form something like an 'Idea Bank/Tank' in order to inform 'resilient' implementation strategies. Best wishes and kind regards to the contributors of BIHAR TIMES Dr. Ajay Kapoor Manchester UK Ajay.Kapoor@rbh.nhs.uk -------------------------------------------- I am thrilled to read this article and congratulate / salute the author for such well integrated, vision towards Bihar. This article can form a baseline guide to identify and screen projects for developmental solution of the state of Bihar. Innovative technologies suggested here are based on the suitability and potential of Bihar. Additionally I wish to mention that the northern part of Bihar has large floodplains which are not being used optimally. Management of flood plains, intensive aquaculture, use of ephemeral back waters for aquaculture and development of Ecoparks (aquatic-terrestrial) on the floodplains may be considered for flood affected areas. North Bihar has great potential for aquaculture which can be modernized and commercialized with limited resources. For instance, considering rainfed farming, paddy cum fish culture may maximize gains. Ram Kumar, National Taiwan Ocean University Taiwan, ramkumar@mail.ntou.edu.tw -------------------------------------- "The article (styled in a essay) is very well composed. Dr. Jha's approach is pragmatic and equally well-founded. This reader strongly recommends: 1.)The article of Dr. Jha must be translated as earliest in Hindi and must be published in the dozens of Hindi Newspaper in Bihar. 2.)And it should intesify the debates in rural and non-rural Bihar." Anant Kumar Writer & Journalist Member of German Writers Association www.anant-kumar.de.vu     The Advertising Network