Lok Sabha Question No. 3709 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-22
Subject: Village Knowledge Centres
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  3709

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  22 ND  DECEMBER, 2015

## VILLAGE KNOWLEDGE CENTRES

3709.     SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Village Knowledge Centres programme being implemented by the Government is achieving its targeted goals;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of Village Knowledge Centres established so far and their working along with the details of nodal agencies thereof; and
- (d) whether some banks are providing details of the schemes to the farmers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )

- (a)  &  (b):        Village  Knowledge  Centres  (VKC)  is  a  programme  of  Council  for Advancement of People's action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the Ministry of Rural Development and was initiated on pilot basis by the Government in the past under the Rural Technology Scheme of CAPART under Ministry of Rural Development.

The main objective of Village Knowledge Centres (VKC)  was to have an online interactive sessions from central studio to multiple remote sites to address need based issues at grass root level.

- (c): CAPART had set up two VKCs on pilot basis as per the details below:

|   Sl. No. | Nodal Agency                                                                   | Location of VKC                                                                                                                                                               | Details of working                                                                     |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | NIRDESH, Vill. Majhaulai, PO Khabra Distt. Muzzaffarpur, Bihar                 | Bihar, having Central Studio at Consultancy Cum Guidance Center (CGC) Vaishali connected to one remote center at Serukahin Panchayat of Kanti block in Muzzaffarpur district. | Was functional from 2007 to 2009                                                       |
|         2 | Dhan Foundation, 18, Pillaiyar Street, Soma Sundram Colony, Madurai, Tamilnadu | Tamil Nadu, having central studio at Pulluthi People Academy, Madurai connecting 10 remote sites in 3 districts of Tamil Nadu.                                                | This centre was not provided operational cost due to discontinuation of VKC programme. |

(d):      Providing details of the programme to the farmers through banks was not the objective of above mentioned pilot projects.

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