Monday, February 6 2006 11:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Manila: India will provide the technological know-how to turn into reality President A P J Abdul Kalam's dream project Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) in the Philippines to bridge the rural-urban divide.

The PURA concept, which envisages establishing integrated connectivities in rural areas in terms of providing basic infrastructure, caught the imagination of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo who responded to it enthusiastically during her talks with Kalam.

It was agreed that two PURA centres would be set up at Lanao, a hilly area of the Philippines, and Balcun, a coastal area, and some local companies are also expected to chip in with assistance.

"We will provide the technical know-how for the two PURA centres," Kalam's Press Secretary S M Khan told sources here.

Under PURA, besides physical connectivity, villages need to be connected to cities through strengthening of telecommunication and internet facilities.

The PURA has been successfully implemented in 65 villages in Tamil Nadu, leading to large scale employment and creation of entrepreneurs with the support of more than 800 self-help groups.