'Konark among 6 spots to get wi-fi connection'

Varanasi: Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shanker Prasad announced that wi-fi will be enabled across important tourist spots across the country including Konark Temple in Odisha in next three months.

Apart from the Konark, Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), and Mahabalipuram and Hamphi in Karnataka would be made wi-fi enabled religious tourism spots.

This was revealed by Prasad on the sidelines of launching wi-fi connectivity at two ancient ghats of Varanasi along the river Ganga - Sheetla and Dashvashmegh.

According to officials, this first-of-its-kind initiative wi-fi facility would be available to the people at Rs 70 for the entire day, Rs 50 for two hours, Rs 30 for one hour and Rs 20 for 30 minutes.

The project was mooted by BSNL after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the MP from Varanasi last year, sources said, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), soon after the approval of Modi, began monitoring the project as a "priority one".

After kickstarting the wi-fi facility at the two ghats, the minister also announced that the facility would be extended to the other ghats - Rajendra Prasad, Man Mandir, Manikarnika, Tripurabhairavi, Lalita and Meer ghat - by the end of March this year.