Maharashtra: Village in Latur district gets free Wi-Fi, 12 audio systems installed

In a remarkable development, Maharashtra’s remote village in Latur district became the first village to get a free Wi-Fi connection, providing major relief to college students who were earlier unable to attend classes without network issues. Block Development Officer (BDO) Manoj Raut also said that several websites are blocked but free web entry is provided. 

“This initiative is part of the ‘Sundar Maza Gav’ (My Beautiful Village) programme proposed by divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar and BaLA (Building as Learning Aid) initiative of Zilla Parishad CEO Abhinav Goyal which is aimed at developing the village as a smart model village,” Raut stated as per PTI.

One of the 552 residents of Nagtirthwadi village, Sarita Yalmate told the news agency that the homemakers such as her were forced to remain dependent on their husbands for web connection using hotspots. She stressed that the village getting free Wi-Fi connection is the first step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ dream. Sarita also revealed that the villagers are exhilarated with the latest development.

“Now, housewives need not have to wait for their husbands as the Gram Panchayat has provided free Wi-Fi connection. This is the first step in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India dream. All villagers are happy to get internet now,” Yalmate stated.

This village was adopted by Maharashtra BJP secretary Arvind Patil Nilangekar. Akshata Shingade, a class 8 student stated, “Due to free Wi-Fi, we can now attend online classes regularly overcoming network issues. Now I don’t want to wait for my father for accessing the internet as the Gram Panchayat provides free internet.” 

12 sound systems also installed across the village

Apart from free Wi-Fi connection, several other development initiatives have been introduced to the village including the installation of 12 sound audio systems throughout the area. These systems will reportedly play spiritual songs and prayers every morning along with the information bulletins broadcast, once in the morning and night. The village officials reportedly stated that the facility of audio can also be utilised to provide some essential directions to villagers. 

“In a bid to boost the annual Rs 3 lakh income of the Gram Panchayat, 220 tamarind trees were planted in the barren land which could give Rs 8 to 10 lakh income in future. The village had participated in a contest organised by the Pani Foundation in 2017 and won a prize of Rs 5 lakh,” they further stated.

For the protection of the surroundings, 101 females planted 101 banyan saplings around the tamarind bushes on the occasion of ‘Vat Poornima.’ The BDO stated, “Each banyan sapling is bound with nest and has the nameplate of the woman who planted it. These trees and saplings are watered using public wells. The Gram Panchayat provides 24-hour drinking water to all villagers through a tap water system. The village is completely defecation-free. It had won the ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ in 2006 given by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.”

IMAGE: Unsplash/Representative