The state government recently mooted a proposal of providing free Wi-Fi to people living in the villages as part of its Optical Fiber-Grid Network mega project at an estimated cost of Rs 4,660 crore.
The project aims to provide internet facility to as many as 46,000 government offices, hospitals and educational institutions across villages in the 13 districts by 2018 as well as villages.
The project works are likely to begin from October this year. But the Naidu government's ambitious plans of providing free Wi-Fi access in villages over the next few months has raised the hackles of villagers, who don't even have access to basic amenities like individual or public toilets, water supply, proper roads, street lights, hospitals, transportation and even electricity.
Now development is important definitely, but it cannot take precedence over basic amenities which enhance the dignity of the people.
What will a person who does not get water supply or has no access to a public toilet do with free Wi-Fi? So, the priorities should be the other way round.
More than 80% of households in the three north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam do not have proper individual toilets and nearly 40% of the villages in the region depend on bore wells for drinking water.
