Now, Electronics City does a Bill Gates

Now, Electronics City does a Bill Gates
Creates Development Plan To Benefit 23 Neighbouring Villages
The Times of India

Bangalore: As though taking a cue from Microsoft’s Bill Gates who’s now set to become a full-time philanthropist, Bangalore’s Electronics City too has decided to do its bit for the community. The Electronics City Industries Association (ELCIA), representative of all tech majors, has come out with a Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) to enhance economic and social development of villages around Electronics City.

The association is planning to develop 23 villages — 11 in the first phase and 12 in the second. Through the CDP, the association is looking to improve water supply, sanitation, health, education and employment in the villages.

The employment focus is specific: to train women in cottage industry in which they will learn how to convert old sarees into saree bags. The bags thus made will be given to the ELCIA, which will take up the responsibility of selling them in the market. The money generated from the sales will be partly utilised for development programmes in the villages and partly distributed as income to the women making the bags.

ELCIA joint director Bevin K Thomas told The Times of India that ELCIA plans to implement the CDP over the next four months. ELCIA has signed MoUs with a few village panchayats to oversee CDP implementation, share resources between ELCIA and the villages and give resources due to the villages. It is enlisting the support of certain companies for specific development programmes.

Thomas says ELCIA is working with a perspective: “We’ve the responsibility of giving give back something to them. The money from Electronics City is going everywhere else for development, so why not to villages around it? It will be unfair if there is no development nearby.

“People will not trust us. We believe Electronics City should share some of its wealth and resources with the people around it. That way they not only have a better life, we develop a bond with them.’’

ELCIA also takes care of the infrastructure needs of Electronics City and maintains roads, 24-hour water supply and electricity, streetlight, public transport and regulation of traffic on Hosur Road through its own traffic wardens. It is now building pressure on the government to hasten construction of the elevated expressway on Hosur Road for exclusive travel to Electronics City.

Giving it back
ELCIA to develop 23 villages Improve water supply, health, education and employment CDP to be implemented in next 4 months Share wealth and resources and develop a bond with villages