Hyderabad: The Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce and Technology (GCOT) 3-day virtual convention was inaugurated by Sri Gutha Sukhendar Reddy garu, Chairman, Telangana Legislative Council. The convention ‘150TH GANDHI JAYANTHI UTSAV’ is organized to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who believed in the upliftment of villages to build a progressive India. Today’s Prominent speakers in the event included Ms. Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women – India, Bhutan, Srilanka and Maldives at United Nations, Padmasri Smt Shantha Shina, Secretary, MV Foundation, Padmasri Dr.S.P Verma, Vice Chairman, Gandhi Global Family, Sri W R Reddy, Former Director General, NIRD, Sri V Prakash Rao, Chairman, Telangana Water Resources, Dr V Pravin Rao garu, Vice Chancellor, PJTSAU, and Honorable W R Reddy garu, Former Director General, National Institute of Rural Development.

The convention launching first-of its-kind integrated and comprehensive development tool, a technology platform of village monographs. A village monograph provides the basic information needed for planning, program implementation understands the villages based on research and survey, the multi-problem information and key problem identification.Census department has surveyed 35 village and compiled monographs in the total 6.5 lakh villages speaks volumes about our apathy towards village and gram swaraj. This demonstrated resplendently the temper of the times as well as our political and economic structure.

GCOT is a not for profit Social Enterprise, founded by the Osmania University Alumni and the main objective of this NGO is to emancipate the life of rural dwellers. Earlier, to mark the 74th Indian Independence Day, the Gramodaya Bandhumitra Awards were announced by the organization, which will be presented during the convention. The awards are in recognition of the yeoman service rendered by individuals and institutions to provide succor and uplift those dependent on agriculture and allied activities for livelihood.

The GCOT team comprises of, Chairman M. Shyam Prasad Reddy, Vice chairmen Dr. B. Pratap Reddy, Dr. Satyender Ramnarasaiah Godalla, General Secretary P. Ram Reddy, Treasurer Venkatesam Thanneru, Joint Secretary Suresh Benjamin, Executive Chairman Delhi Vasanth, Members G. Rameswara Rao, Kireeti Venkata Pasupuleti, CEO Sravan Madap and the COO Raju V.K.

GCOT has instituted the “GramodayaBandhu Mitra Puraskar” to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and is recognizing the outstanding initiatives of Individuals and Institutions globally, working on Gandhian perspective of Agriculture, Rural Development and self-contained villages. These Awards will be presented annually from this year onwards for exceptional contributions made to the rural economy.

GCOT has been spearheaded by Vasanth Kumar Damasthapuram (known as ‘Delhi Vasanth’), an Alumnus of Osmania University and MIT School of Government, Pune. He has been extensively working for the cause of the farmers and undertook a 2,140 Km padayatra in 2007 from his home town Zaheerabad to New Delhi, to garner the attention of the Central Government to the miserable plight of farmers committing suicides.