The Hindu Business Line : Vazhiyoram: Roadside amenities in the making

THE Government-owned Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development (STED) Project has drawn up a project for setting up wayside facilities in the State with private participation.

The project, styled `Vazhiyoram', envisages setting up of 250 units along the national highways, major state highways, waterways and major roads leading to tourist destinations.

According to Mr T.K. Manzoor, Project Director, the wayside facilities will be located in such a way that there will be at least one such unit within 10-20 kilometres of the roads. The units will feature restaurants, souvenir shops, public telephone/Internet, toilets and car parking facilities. The units will have uniform design and will offer the services under a single brand umbrella.

Mr Manzoor said the project, estimated to cost Rs 61 crore, would be implemented in a phased manner over a period of three years. The State Government, which will be in the role of facilitator, will contribute Rs 13 crore, while the private sector will provide the remaining Rs 48 crore.

The project is expected to generate direct employment to 2,500 persons and indirect employment to another 10,000. STED Project will act as the `State-level entrepreneurship development agency' of the scheme.

STED Project will also function in the same role for the proposed state-level launch of the `Akshaya Project' that was successfully implemented in the Malappuram district. The State Government has decided to launch the project in seven districts during the current fiscal.

STED Project started functioning in 1985 under the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), which is fully sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology of the Union Government. Later the Project was brought under the joint sponsorship of the State and Union Governments.

Mr Manzoor said that currently, the Project was running on a fully self-reliant mode without depending on government grants. It is generating revenue from a stream of training and consultancy activities in the field of entrepreneurship development and is able to meet all its administrative expenses.

The main objectives of the Project are entrepreneurship development and sustainable employment generation through science and technology inputs. The Project has now taken up some new and augmented programmes in areas such as multimedia content development, e-secretaryship, digital video film making, mobile phone repairing, eco-friendly paper carry bags and coconut-based convenient foods.

Initially, the Project's activities were confined to Kozhikode district. Now it has spread its activities to the State level and has offices in all the 14 districts.

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