In an effort to improve the standard of living of Dalits in the country, the Union Ministry of Science and Technology has chalked out a plan to develop model villages in eight states of India.

"Through technology intervention and various other measures like mini cottage industries, a plan has been chalked out to make these villages as real models," Dr Anil P Joshi, head of HESCO, a Dehradun-based NGO which will coordinate the project said.

The project will be headed by Dr Vinita Sharma, advisor to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The project will be implemented in three northern states - Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, three western states - Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra and two southern states Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The main focus of the plan is to develop infrastructure facilities in the villages and raise the level of health and education.

"Dalits inhabit border areas or are settled in isolated villages because of the caste system prevalent in the society.  We will carefully identify the villages which are neglected and deprived of common facilities," Dr Joshi said.

The plan also aims to provide economic independence to the Dalits by improving their skills of carpentry, blacksmith, masonry in such a way that it can be utilised for their own benefits as well as others through 'Shridan'.

"Our concept of Shridan is that those getting benefits under such schemes must contribute their skills to the deprived ones," Dr Joshi said.

The plan would also utilise local resources to create employment opportunities and mini cottage industries.

Under the project, a village resource centre would also be set up to provide elementary knowledge to women and children, Joshi said.

"In Uttarakhand seven villages, Chhamroli, Sinota and Dharamchuk in Dehradun district, Bagarth in Uttarkashi district, Chakarpur in Udhamsingh Nagar, Matela in Almora and Rajpura in Pithoragarh have already been identified for the project," Joshi said.

Similarly Majhas in Mandi district and Kalol in Bilaspur are the two villages from Himachal and in Jammu and Kashmir Akhnoor would be developed as model village.

NGOs from these states are also being roped in to give fillip to the programme and the government would initially spend Rs 11-12 lakh on each village, he said. A preliminary survey in this regard has already been conducted.