The impact of global meltdown has not just been limited to the urban areas. The rural areas of the state have also felt the heat of the economic crisis.

Chirag Vasava, a 23-year-old tribal student, who worked with an IT/BPO company, 3i Infotech’s Common Service Centre (CSC) and got a salary of Rs 3,200 per month, is now sitting at his home in Charani village of Ummarpada taluka in Surat district, waiting for the company to restart its centre, which closed down in May.

The company shut down its service centre for three months, citing economic slowdown as the reason. “The company told us that they are closing down the centre and asked us to stay at home for three months,” said Vasava.

The state government had selected 3i Infotech as the Service Centre Agency (SCA) for setting up Common Service Centres across Gujarat.

The government had planned to open around 3,000 CSCs in the state, which would act as

the front-end delivery points for the government, private, and social sector services to rural citizens. The aim was to build a stage, where all these institutions put together their social and commercial goals, which are beneficial to the rural population. These services include both IT and non-IT services.

Vasava is among three others from the same village, who are cooling their heels at home. Several others in Narmada, Bharuch and Surat districts are doing the same.

“I am not sure if these CSCs will start again, but I will wait till August. That’s when the company has promised to start its programme,” said Vasava.

... contd.