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Ajay Singh Thakur has a perfect example of combining business acumen with community service.

Ajay Singh Thakur has a perfect example of combining business acumen with community service. Owner of an STD booth in Chingorabhata village just outside Raipur, his idea of putting up loudspeakers atop his shop to announce names of villagers whenever one of them receives a call has not only revolutionised his business but also provided the 2,000-odd residents of the village an easy connectivity with the outside world.

Though the village has about half a dozen land lines and an equal number of mobile connections, the residents are mostly dependent on the Jai Mata Di STD booth owned by Thakur. The reason: the loudspeaker service comes free of charge. For the owner, the added business more than compensates for the cost incurred on the loudspeakers and their installation.

The service is available round-the-clock with only emergency messages delivered after 10 pm so as to avoid inconvenience to those in the vicinity.

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“The idea of putting up these loudspeakers came to my mind as I wanted to serve my village. This has also helped me because now I don’t need to leave the shop when I have to call someone to attend his phone call,” says Thakur. Whenever anyone calls, an announcement is made and the caller is asked to call back after a few minutes.

“As the announcement can be heard almost up to a couple of kilometres, we never miss our calls. Even when we are away at the village pond, we can hurry back after listening to Thakur’s voice,” says Manoj Kesharwani, a regular beneficiary.

Over the past few months, even Thakur’s two sons, aged 10 and 8, have become experts at handling the equipment and can make the announcements. “Whenever I am away or unwell, one of my sons takes charge so that the villagers don’t miss any calls or messages,” says Thakur.

Meanwhile, the services of the Jai Mata Di STD booth are now being utilised by the local administration for making announcements. Thakur says on days when polio inoculation camps are held in the village, officials come to his shop to make an announcement.

The good work, he says, will go on unannounced.