GUWAHATI, March 14 - �A digital society is where barriers are broken down and divides are removed for the people to access information through which they can build the foundation for a successful life. Knowledge is power in today�s world and the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan is an ambitious programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to digitally enable 6 crore people in the country.�
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated this while inaugurating the awareness campaign for the Prime Minister�s Rural Digital Literacy Mission at a programme organised by the Information and Technology Department, Govt of Assam, at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here today.
Notably, the Mission aims at imparting digital literacy to citizens in rural areas free of cost. It aims to provide access to information, knowledge, education and healthcare. It will create avenues for livelihood generation and financial inclusion through digital payments and help bridge the digital divide.
It is expected to reach around 40 per cent rural households in the country by March 2019. Under it, people in rural areas will be trained to operate computer tablets, smartphones, etc, and how to access the internet, government services, undertake digital payment, compose emails, etc.
The marginalised sections of society like SCs/STs, minorities, BPL families, divyangs, all will be part of this scheme.
Saying that Assam was able to set an example for the whole country by opening around eight lakh bank accounts for tea garden workers in the aftermath of the demonetisation drive, which enabled digital payment to the tea community, Sonowal said that the society is ready to accept all transformative initiatives if steps are taken in the right direction.
Around 19 lakh people are sought to be digitally empowered by March next year in the State under this Mission to enable them to take advantage of different digital services, and the State government is committed to putting in place required infrastructure for ushering in this digital revolution, he added.
Commenting that the ease of doing business is actually ease of living life, the Chief Minister said that earlier, people needed to travel long distances and waste time and energy for gathering information, which can now be obtained sitting at home through digital media and for that purpose digital literacy is a must. The farmers of the State would be able to get access to newer markets to sell their produce when they are empowered to use digital platforms and in this regard this Mission would create a huge transformation in the rural economy of the 26,000 villages of the State, he opined.
Congratulating the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who have been selected to provide digital services to rural populace under every gaon panchayat, Sonowal termed them as digital soldiers who would fulfil the dream of a Digital Assam through their dedicated service at the grassroots level.