The government on Friday announced that it would set up free-of-cost ‘Amma Wi-Fi Zones’ in 50 public places and 50 schools across the State besides launching a mobile-based application to provide services of various departments of the government.
In a statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa referred to a promise made in her party’s election manifesto and said these free-of-cost Wi-Fi zones would be set up at major bus termini, commercial complexes and parks among other public places during the first phase. Likewise, as per another promise made in the manifesto, the Wi-Fi zones would be set up in 50 schools. All these zones set up at a cost of Rs. 10 crore would be maintained at an annual cost of Rs. 1.5 crore.
As a majority of people have smart phones, the Chief Minister also announced that a mobile-based application, ‘Assured Multi-Modal Access to e-Services,’ would be implemented at Rs. 1 crore to provide 25 services of various departments of the government.
A total of 650 permanent enrolment centres would be set up across the State by Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency for collecting biometric data and providing Aadhaar numbers for applicants and to maintain the State Resident Data Hub, besides offering other services. These centres would be maintained by Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited and and Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, she said.
In the first phase, these centres would be set up at Greater Chennai Corporation offices and taluk offices through Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited, while centres at all District Collector’s office, all municipalities and all Corporations other than Greater Chennai Corporation by e-Service centres at Rs. 25 crore.
For the benefit of entrepreneurs in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector involved in IT and ITES, the Chief Minister said a building spread over two lakh sq. feet would be constructed on ELCOSEZ campus in Sholinganallur at Rs. 80 crore.
