eGovWatch: Joginder Nagar to be Himachal’s first free WiFi town

Himachal Pradesh’s Joginder Nagar, famous for being Asia’s only town having three hydro-power stations, will soon offer free WiFi facility to all internet users, locals as well as tourists.

By Ashwani Sharma

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said free WiFi facility will be made operational within one and a half months time. It’s a self-propelled initiative of the local panchayat, which had tied-up with BSNL to bring the new age technology to the door steps of rural population in the area.

Singh also announced installation of CCTV cameras at public places. He said it would be the first town in the state to possess these facilities.

“This would not only help in keeping close tabs on anti-social elements but also ensure cleanliness in the town,” he saide.

The chief minister also announced the upgradation of the local civic body to that of town council.

He said Joginder Nagar would be the nodal agency for implementing WiFI and CCTV facilities.

Rolling out the plan, Ajay Dharwal, member of nagar panchayat, said, “Frankly, the idea came from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s election promise to turn Delhi as free WiFi city. He may not have achieved success in his plan but we have done it in the mountainous town, which has a population of 6,500 with over 84 percent literacy.”

Dharwal also gave credit to Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma who encouraged the nagar panchayat to execute the idea of free WiFi for all as the same could later be replicated by other urban towns in the state.

“The BSNL will install modems and routers at a distance of 100 meters over entire town to provide high speed internet connectivity. The WiFi facility will support free browsing by the internet users. The BSNL will charge Rs 1.20 lakhs to Rs 1.30 lakhs from the nagar panchayat —which only today was upgraded as Nagar Parishad by chief minister,”he said .

“All the CCTV cameras will function on the WiFi network and there will be no need of laying of cables .We will set-up a control room to monitor the garbage collection and disposal scheme,” Ajay Dharwal told the Indian Express over phone.

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