Very soon they can own a mobile PCO. The innovative scheme, supported by the region's apex financial institution, the North East Development Financial Institution, will be launched soon by the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre .
The NEDFI would select physically challenged youths with the PCOs planned to be attached with their tricycles, NEDFI sources said.
The pilot project will supply 200 mobile PCO vehicles to such people initially in Guwahati and gradually to other areas of Kamrup district of Assam.
According to the sources, this unique project will enable the physically challenged people to own a mobile PCO with STD and ISD facilities and thereby help them earn livelihood.
Orthopaedic handicapped and those with lower arm disability would be given preference and this would not only allow them earn money but be of tremendous help to people living in remote and inaccessible areas where PCOs are rare. According to the sources, the scheme is to be slowly taken to other districts and would be funded by the NEDFI through two NGOs called the Northeast Disabled Development Society and the Magic Academy and Research Centre.
One mobile PCO van would be priced initially at Rs 17,000 with the additional cost of Rs 100 for the commercial sim card.
The PCO device, which will have an antenna to catch the satellite signal, will be readied by Visiotech and the tricycle would be provided by another company.
Sixty per cent of the daily collection will be paid to the BSNL and the beneficiaries would bag the rest 40 per cent, sources said.
The VRC in the meantime has conducted a market survey in this regard, which they think will be very much viable.
According to NEDFI, there is lot of expectation from this unique project because the PCO is one business, which can be best handled by the physically challeged people.
"It is a very respectable way of earning money and there is no problem as proper bills would be served to the customer especially at a time when the PCO business is on the down," the sources said.
With the wide use of mobile phones and cheap one-rupee dial facility provided by the BSNL at every nook and corner of the city, PCO business has been hit badly but such mobile PCOs are definitely going to click, they said.
Rontu Deka, who has so long been running a betel shop, hopes to be a beneficiary from the scheme and augment his income.
"This is definitely a good project and if selected I would be glad to be a owner of such a PCO," Deka, who lost his limb in an accident four years back, said.
