Jaipur, Sep 7 (IANS): Till five years ago, Kanchanpura was a just small village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district. Today it is in the limelight for successful poultry farming that has emancipated its Dalit families economically.

Agriculture was not a viable occupation for people in the village, tucked away in the dusty and backward region of the Kumher Panchayat Samiti. Poultry farming has come to their rescue as a high income generating livelihood opportunity on an initiative of a public service institution, Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation.

Sita Ram Gupta, the Foundation's executive director, said that the village took full advantage of the hand-holding support extended by Lupin. Loans were arranged from the Small Industrial Development Bank of India for 10 youths, who constructed sheds and started work under the guidance of experts.

"In the first year itself, each youth started earning Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000. They then increased the number of chicks to about 3,000, which gave them bigger profits," said Gupta.

He said the business being run in the village with about 40,000 chicks is attracting a large number of agents and businessmen from nearby Bharatpur, Agra and Mathura. And the Dalit families are today making good profits selling eggs and fowls throughout the year.

Gupta also said the Foundation has been helping the villagers in areas like dairy and bee-keeping.

And other initiatives such as setting up of Women's Self Help Groups, training for rain water harvesting and removal of social evils such as child marriage, liquor consumption and death feasts have made Kanchanpura a model village in Bharatpur district.