Let us agree on a few things: 1.0 CIC's set in rural areas were not in a necessity then and not a necessity even now... (Mind you, I talk here of necessity and not of importance).. what was a necessity (in rural areas) then was a solution to the chronic flood problem and what is a necessity now is a solution to the current draught problem.. going by what is the climate now for recurrent weeks at end, we must be facing very tragic problems for the farmers, at least for the cultivation year 2006/07.
2.0 CIC's were a great chance for us to do so many things.. partly CIC's succeeded in doing those.. 3.0 The money was poured, the infrastructure was built and it still is manned by good and skilled individuals.. but where is the direction? Was providing the knowledge (the internet access or type, print, scan and copy..) only thing to be done? What was the ultimate benefit to people for whom it was made, ultimately what money (quoting your words "..But they need the motivation to do so. If money is motivation(it is)..", these people never could get anything out of CIC's to improve upon their way of subsistence. Was there a single case where CIC could set a single example of a single farmer getting better off because of CIC? People needs role model to follow.. most of us are followers.. 4.0 CIC's have not become defunct and this fear of losing jobs by CIC operators needs to be examined in true sense by someone among us having high reach, whether it is correct.. I think this is a temporary phase of uncertainty and would pass off, once CIC's builds up a profile of profit a liability (Cost/Social Benefit analysis)... 5.0 Have CIC's joined hands with profit making entities like CII? They had recently launched a site to market ethnic items by NE artisans to India and abroad... now who is more nearer to the artisans than a CIC? 6.0 Can not CIC make a better business sense with Agri dept. so that ultimate benefactor is the farmer? Long Live CIC's.. Most often than not, our fate is in our own hand.. Prasanta Bora. Guwahati, Assam
