Sobha Group adopts two Kerala villagesPress Trust of India / Kochi February 19, 2007Real estate developers and builders Sobha Group has adopted two villages, Kizhakkenchery and Vadakkenchery, in Palakkad district in the state and initiated a four-line strategy for their overall development. P N C Menon, chairman, said the group would provide healthcare, education, water and employment to the people of the two villages.As part of the project that is under the control of Sri Kurumba Trust (SKT), Sobha Health Centre has been opened recently at Panniyankara with a state-of-the-art healthcare facility. The hospital is equipped with facilities like ultrasound scanning, X-ray, ECG, and fully computerised biochemistry and hematology laboratories.The six-bed polyclinic will provide treatment at reasonable charges. The group will also construct two rainwater harvesting facilities over 70 acres of land to provide drinking water to the two panchayts that reel under an acute water shortage.The Sobha Academy that will provide free education and food to around 1,300 students will commence functioning by June 1, 2007. He said that the students would be provided world-class education up to 10th standard. The group will also establish a garment manufacturing unit and start group farming to provide employment to hundreds of youths of the two villages. Menon said that 12 acres of land had already been acquired for the garment unit and production would commence in two years. The group would buy back 100% of the production for export purposes. It would supply modern machinery to the farmers.Apart from these, the group is planning to construct a 75-bed multi-speciality hospital mainly for the benefit of the villagers and the poor. The group has already started Sobha Hermitage - a home for senior citizens and young widows with most modern facilities like fully furnished double rooms, library, card rooms and cyber caf