CAPART will be Revived to Support Genuine Rural Voluntary Action, says Union Rural Development Minister

Union Rural Development Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari today (14.08.2014) said that CAPART( Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology) will be revived and strengthened to promote voluntary efforts in rural development with focus on injecting new technological inputs. He said, CAPART will be linked to e-governance for bringing transparency in its functioning and more funds will be infused into it to support and encourage voluntary action for rural prosperity. The Minister emphasised that genuine organizations working in the field of rural sector as well as in the handloom sector will be supported to create more jobs in rural areas. Shri Gadkari was speaking here after the launch of Bank of Ideas and Innovations. He said that there is no dearth of ideas and innovations in this country, but the real challenge is to make them commercially viable. Shri Gadkari assured former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who launched the web portal on the Bank of Ideas and Innovations that funds will not be a constraint in this project. Renowned Scientist Dr R.A.Mashelkar is also a great motivator of this project, he added. 

Dr Kalam in his address said that Innovation will have a value only if it is linked to commercial and industrial use. He called for linking the Ideas Portal with Industries and Industrial bodies like ASSOCHAM, FICCI and NASSCOM for translating great ideas into commercial products. Dr Kalam said that even 10 percent of great ideas if taken to its logical conclusion can change the face of India. Dwelling on the issue of agricultural production and wastage of food due to inadequate and improper storage facilities, the former President favored small silos approach or cooperative silos to save foodgrains. 

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Upendra Kushwaha said that Government is committed to the upliftment of poor people in the rural areas. He said that every person has some new idea and there is need to pool together great ideas into a coherent whole to achieve the rural goal targets because the country has limited resources. He also strongly advocated for lab-to land approach to reach its full potential. 

In his address, Secretary, Rural Development Shri L.C.Goyal called for credible convergence of ideas and schemes to achieve rural prosperity. He said, only through innovative ideas, the challenges of rural development can be met. Shri Goyal also thanked Dr Kalam for agreeing to be part of the project and said that he is the best suited person for the Bank of Ideas and Innovations. 

Courtesy: pib.nic.in