ASI signs MoU With RailTel and BSNL for WiFi Services at historic sites

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with state-run RailTel and BSNL for providing WiFi services at its various monuments and sites. The service will be free for the first half-an-hour and thereafter chargeable on the usage basis.

Currently, ASI has 116-ticketed monuments and sites and the services would be available wherever "technically feasible", Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

"The Archaeological Survey of India has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with RailTel and BSNL for providing WiFi facility at ASI protected monuments," he said. Under the MoU, "WiFi facility would be provided at ASI ticketed monuments/sites, if technically feasible." he said.

However, no time frame has been set to introduce the services, he added.

To another query, Sharma said as many as 100 monuments (56 ticketed and 44 non-ticketed), including Red Fort, Taj Mahal, and Qutab Minar, have been identified to be developed as 'Adarsh Smarak'.

The salient features of the 'Adarsh Smarak' scheme are:

• To make a monument visitor friendly.

• To upgrade/provide wash rooms, drinking water, signages, cafeteria, and wi-fi facility

• To provide Interpretation and audio-video centers

• To streamline waste water and garbage disposal and rain water harvesting system

• To make monument accessible to differently abled

• To implement Swachh Bharat Abhiyan