BSNL RAMPING UP NETWORK for SIMHASTHA-KUMBH MELA: PRASAD

INDORE, January 18: In view of the month-long Simhastha-Kumbh mela beginning on April 22 in Ujjain, state-run BSNL is ramping up its network to ensure that the devotees are at ease during the mega religious event, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today. "BSNL is putting up 29 new mobile towers, of them 4 will be movable ones, to provide better connectivity to its customers. Optical fibre line and copper cable will be laid in 50 km and 45 km respectively," he told reporters here. According to the minister, BSNL will provide landline phone and internet connections to 13 akhadas of seers during Simhastha. Besides, he said that 150 WiFi points will be developed and 2,500 CDMA mobile phones be given to police personnel. The BJP leader further said that the post department will open up 4 temporary post offices during the mega event. "Under My Stamp scheme, 10,000 devotees will get an opportunity to get their pictures stamped in the stamps," he added. Prasad said that the WiFi spots will be put up at 1,100 places which including religious places and 200 tourists' spots like Amarkantak - from where Narmada river originates, Panchmarhi and Mandu. Around five crore pilgrims from the country and abroad are expected to take part in Simhastha, the largest congregation of Hindus. -PTI