What should every Indian know but probably does not?

Odanthurai is a village in Tamil Nadu, India, and it's considered a great example for the whole country. Why? Well, with the help of government programs, they achieved some impressive things:

1. In 2006, the village panchayat (local council) borrowed money from a bank to set up a windmill. This windmill makes electricity without polluting the air. It produces more power than the village needs, so they sell the extra electricity to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and make around Rs. 23 lakhs each year. They even paid back the bank loan in just seven years. This was the first time a local body in India took on such a big project.

2. They also set up a biomass gasifier plant to reduce electricity costs. This plant lowered the electricity bills from Rs. 84,000 to Rs. 30,000.

3. They built 775 houses, making the village 'hut free.'

4. They dug bore wells, set up water tanks, and added water purification systems.

5. They made concrete roads and a small bridge.

6. They constructed a school with a library and facilities for games.

7. They installed 119 solar street lights.

8. They created rainwater harvesting structures.

All these amazing changes were led by an innovative person named Rangaswamy Shanmugam, who was the President of the village panchayat from 2001 to 2009. Many researchers, World Bank experts, government officers, and students visit the village to learn about his strategies.

Every village in India could benefit from having a dedicated and honest leader like Shanmugam. The pictures show how the village transformed with all these improvements.