IKSL to sell 4.5 lkah handsets to farmers in TN

Tiruchirapalli, Apr 23 (UNI) Chennai-based IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL), a subsidiary of the Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has targetted to sell 4.5 lakh handsets (mobile phones) and equal number of activations (activating new connections), worth Rs 100 crore through 2,000 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Banks (PACBs) in Tamil Nadu during the current fiscal.

Disclosing this at a press conference here yesterday, IKSL state manager A Jinnah said the objective of launching the handests was intended to help farmers by providing mobile phone facilities with a competitive price besides strengthening the PACBs as business model and improving their financial status.

Though there were 4,500 PACBs in the state only 2,000 were active, he said adding that IKSL has also fixed a target to sell recharge coupons worth Rs nine crore and products worth Rs nine lakh manufatured by IKSL during the current year.

The scheme introduced at Villupuram as a pilot project in December last year received overwhelming response among the farmers.

Subsequently, it was launched in Cuddalore and Salem. More than 6,500 handsets were sold so far and the entire state would be covered by September this year, he added.

Informing that IKSL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AirTel for manufacturing IFFCO-AirTEL Green Card, he said the cards would be made available to farmers as well as others at Rs 49.

Nearly 1,000 cards had been sold so far.

He said farmers, using IFFCO-AirTel green cards would receive five free voice messages (SMS) everyday relating to information on agriculture and weather forecast.

UNI RV ROY 1108