Konkan Corridor Project

The idea is floated by Mr. Vasant Gangavane living in a village in Konkan, the beutiful lush green yet undeveloped region on the west coast of India , just south of Bombay .

The Feb 2009 events for Konkan Corridor Project are summed up in email below:

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Hi,

Mr. Vasant Gangavane, veteran IITan from Gokul Prakalpa Pratishthan , Lanja, Konkan , is now moving through all 117 Clusters identified by him as focus for inclusive development model at grass root and getting good response from local population to this offer of partnerships by IITans and professionals to make the development model work without change of land ownership .

The Jatha started on 18th Feb as planned , from southernmost taluka of Dodamarg in Sindhudurga district and covered Dodamarg and Wengurla taluka so far . Today it is at Sawantwadi .

Science & Technology Park , University of Pune is knowledge partner in this proposed Kokan Corridor Project and there will be kick off meeting in 14th / 15th March to coincide with end of Golden Jubilee year of IITB Golden Jubilee celebrations, at Agriculture university campus at Dapoli .

In Dodamarg taluka , villagers have agreed to partner and create a 500 Hector Rural Business Hub with land offered as equity by the locals to develop modern urban township to halt the long distance migration and settle the local population in business opportunities brought closer to them in this way . Growth Lab model for business incubation through Knowledge partnership by S& T Park will be used to create such opportunities through skills development . It is expected that in each of the 117 clusters in 2 districts , there will be one such RBH .

It is hoped that there will be reverse migration to finance the construction of the eco housing based homes and workspaces in the Rural Business Hub . Many developers have shown interest in creating their dreams of developpment come true in this fashion where there is no investment for land tarnsfer and a farmers owned enterprise becomes host for the modern city right in the midst of lush green Konkan area .

In each cluster there will be one representative and 10 student associates and 50 farmers as Contact persons for seeding the activities of konkan corridor . Local self help groups and NGOs working with such groups are also joining in for taking up skills development and growth programs to suit their agenda .

In each cluster of 15000 hectors, the availability of computerised data for land use, population , soil , water , forest cover from state governement will facilitate the planning ans self administration by rural panchayat and the open source based software developed by S&T Park will empower local youth to take on these tasks on professional basis to manage the various projects as Managers / entrepreneurs .

Let us all wish grand success nto this jatha and hope that the end of Golden Jubilee celebration year of IIT Bombay starts a new era where IITans partner with rural masses to builod the India 2020 vision hector by hector .

You are welcome to send your queries and ideas to support or question this Konkan Corridor ,
With best regards