Chief Minister Pema Khandu recently launched the Smart Village Movement Data Collection Application–Smart Village App. He said the data collected from remote villages across the State through the app would not only be utilized for the Smart Village Movement–a state government flagship program–but also be used as inputs by respective departments to structure their annual plans. ‘The Smart Village program is, in fact, not only a module to empower select villages but also a concrete step towards decentralization of our planning process.’
The app will facilitate the Smart Village Movement in mapping available assets, opportunities, challenges and pain points in villages of the State, based on which interested partners (MNCs, NGOs, etc) would offer ways and means to empower the villages in select spheres. Officials can access real-time data and know condition of assets and people in the villages sitting remotely, which would enable them plan the exact government’s intervention required.
The Arunachal Pradesh government had, on June 13 last year, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Smart Village Movement to facilitate technology innovations, research and development, open innovation, technology interventions and curriculum development in select villages. The Movement with its open innovation approach will integrate technology and indigenous rural practices to generate sustainable revenue for constituents, thus increasing overall standard of living and quality of life and simultaneously creating economic, social and environmental value. As per its schedule, the program is set to launch this year by the end of May.
Former Consul General, San Francisco, V Ashok, who is a Senior Advisor and Garwood Fellow, Smart Village Program, present during the launch shared that Arunachal Pradesh has immense potential for the world to invest and innovate. He sought support and coordination from State government officials to make the Smart Village Movement a success.