Dynamic management vital for PURA success: Kalam

Baktara, Nov 7 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today said a dynamic management system was vital for the success of Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) projects.

Inaugurating one such project at this village in Chhattisgarh's Aarang tehsil, he said that PURA had to evolve with participation of the state governments concerned, district authorities, non-government organisations, educational institutions, small-scale industry or enterprises in association with panchayati raj institutions.

''Finally, it has to be managed as a viable and sustainable proposition through local entrepreneurship,'' he added.

Dr Kalam, who also made the locals pledge to work towards developing the area as a model village, said the project covered 22 villages.

Lauding the state government's efforts, the President added that this was the first PURA project to be undertaken by the state with defined development goals and management structure.

Pointing out that work on PURA projects was progressing smoothly in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Dr Kalam said by 2011 this project would have transformed into a dymamic rural complex with focus on employment potential for about 50 per cent of Baktara's families with three connectivities -- physical connectivity, knowledge connectivity leading to economic connectivity.

Chief Minister Raman Singh threw light on the proposed development initiatives to be taken up under the project saying that his government would make available funds and other requirements for its implementation.

Governor Krishna Mohan Seth, ministers and several villagers were present.

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