Government of India has been focusing on many development and welfare programmes through direct interventions, grants and subsidies. Studies show that most of these programmes have limitations in reaching poorer sections of the rural society due to asymmetry in information and high transaction costs. The absence of single window system and high social, economic and financial transaction costs further enhance the problem.

VIDIYAL believes that the rural economy is a key component for alleviating rural poverty. We perceived that development can be achieved only through the empowerment of the communities. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can play a major role in strengthening the awareness as well as interaction process. In particular, VIDIYAL envisages the blending of computers and mobile phones. The mobile phone can address last mile issues.

Vidivelli Federation listed out the most needed government benefit schemes, information’s on agricultural, animal Husbandry, Education, Health and Employment etc., and developed software named ICLIS to have access pertaining to information related to different Govt. schemes in collaboration with Arul Anandar College.   To empower SHG member with awareness on legal affairs, it telecast legal voice mails through mobile phones and to decide to give one mobile phone / SHG identifying a responsible person.

The voice mails were recorded by the SHG leaders and shared with other members as a method to facilitate the horizontal transfer of knowledge. Hearing and recording of voice mails and conversation among SHG members were monitored regularly and feed back received. To further strengthening SHG members, legal work shops were conducted for interaction with legal experts and assessed the most needed legal issues to be addressed.

To manage and monitor the function of Village Knowledge Centre’s (VKC), management committees representing members were formed prescribing responsibility for each office bearers. Also identified a list of income generation to generate income and ensure the sustainability of VKCs. The VKC are functioning well, attracting larger number of school children for basic training and Computer games, Youth for professional skills, SHG and Non SHG members for using ICLIS. Regular VCD based ODLs are being played at villages which attracts larger crowds for further interaction.  It is planned to have service oriented activities like payment of electricity bill, insurance premium, e-ticketing, etc. in the future with minimum service charges in future.