The Berhampur Municipal Corporation has undertaken a number of welfare projects worth crores of rupees. However, still many people living the BeMC area are not aware of the facilities let alone availing them. Most surprisingly, even the Mayor and Corporators are also in the dark.
The BeMC started providing Wifi services in and around the municipal campus as well as a few areas of the city, spending Rs 1 crore. But the people including Corporators have no knowledge of it, though five years have passed.
The BeMC has availed the Wifi service from Wifi Technology Private Limited, Bhubaneswar in 2018, for three years, which has been renewed for another term, through tender process. Through Airtel and Vodafone, the party is providing the Wifi service of 300 Mbps per day on a 1:1 ratio on High Width Broadband services on lease. Starting from Khallikote Unitary University through PVN Rao Petrol Pump Junction, Old Bus Stand, Annapurna Market to Girija Junction, the free Wifi facilities are provided for 200 Mbps. Another 100 Mbps is provided in the BeMC campus.
The civic body has already paid Rs 1.80 crore to the service provider in the last six years. Moreover, in spite of availability of the free Wifi facility, the BeMC has been paying bills for availing private Wifi. Recently, there was a heated exchange of words in the council's meeting over the Wifi services. Councillors suspected bungling of funds in the issue.
