WB using IT to help masses

The West Bengal government has decided to use information technology for the benefit of the masses in the rural areas, state IT and environment minister, Manabendra Mukherjee, claimed yesterday.

"The state intends to provide at least one networked computer to every panchayat in the state which will enable the farmers in the area to download prices of his produce in markets where he has access "" in a radius of 50 km," he said at a seminar on 'Use of IT in open and distance learning system of higher education: Mapping in the New Millennium' organised by Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU).

The government has to decide how to use IT for value addition to society and to provide IT benefits to the people, he added.

Statistics indicated 45 months of an average Indian's income was equal to the price of a PC. In reality, an Indian farmer cannot afford to buy a PC.

Another problem was language, as only 5 per cent of Indians were familiar with English while 67 per cent of the websites were in English.

The state intended to connect hospitals in urban areas with rural ones to facilitate transfer of data and tele-medicine services. Instead of optical fibres, IIT Kharagpur had developed technology for transfer using copper wires.

Kiran Karnik, president, Nasscom, warned that India was set to see 45 million surplus labour by 2020.

Luckily, some developed nations would run short of workers in the age group 25 to 65. India could do jobs for these countries through a mix of outsourcing and people transfer.