Warana: The Case of an Indian Rural Community Adopting ICT By, Simone Cecchini & Monica Raina Presented By, Carol Savia Peters

Characteristics - Warana Village Well Developed Rural Area, Near Kolhapur In Maharastra Strong Co-operative Movement – Warana Group Of Co-operatives (WGC) Sugarcane And Dairy Farming Good Infrastructure – Uninterrupted Power Supply

‘ Wired Village’ – Objectives Launched In 1998 As A Collaboration Between The National Informatics Centre,The Govt Of Maharashtra, The Warana Vibhag Shikshan Mandal And WGC Increase The Efficiency And Productivity Of The Sugarcane Co-operative Give Villagers Access To Information In Local Language About Crops And Agricultural Market Prices, Employment Schemes From The Government Of Maharashtra, And Educational Opportunities

How The Project Works Fifty-Four Functioning Village Information Kiosks That Are Facilitating The Sugar Cane Production Process At Three Stages 1 st Stage : During The Yearly Registration For Plantation When Changes To Property Are Recorded 2 nd Stage : Issuance Of Harvesting Permits 3 rd Stage : Payments Information

Receive Payment Slips For Their Crops Farmers Can Purchase Fertiliser At Deposits Located Next To The Kiosks In Cash Or By Using Credit Depending On The Size Of The Village Farmers Visit The Kiosk Daily PC With A Printer And Most Are Connected To The Sugar Administrative Building Via Wireless Telephony Some Use Floppy Disks To Save Information As Telephone Bills Are High Kiosks Also Have And Internet Access (Slow Connections)

Benefits of the Project Increased Efficiency Of Sugarcane Growing And Harvesting As Time Is Saved In Administrative Transactions Transparency Of Payments One Visit To The Kiosk – Saves 2-3 Days Fertilizer Stocks Are Now Smaller And Better Managed - Savings Of About US$750,000 To The Cooperative

Potential For New ICT Applications Internet Vs Telephones Easy Access To New Techniques Of Cultivation And Agricultural Practices Information In Local Language Usefulness Of Sending Grievances And Downloading Government Forms Computer Training For The Youth

Key Lessons Assessing the Information Needs of the Community Local Ownership and Participation Women and Poor Peoples Access Empowering Grassroots Operators