Amritsar rly station first in Punjab to get Wi-Fi enabled

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 16

The railway station in the city, which will be upgraded as the state-of-the-art destination, has become Wi-Fi enabled. Meanwhile, the proposal for upgradation of various services and new administration block has also been forwarded.

Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik, who is a member of Parliamentary Committee for Railway, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Arun Jatley and Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for introducing high speed Wi-Fi facility at the Amritsar railway station.

He said Amritsar was the first station in Punjab to provide free internet to the public. “Students, businessmen and other passengers can get connected to anyone in the world with this free Wi-Fi facility,” he added.

While elaborating on the digital India campaign, he said at least 100 stations would become Wi-Fi enabled by the end of this year.

“On the contrary, Aam Admi Party (AAP) is yet to deliver on the free Wi-Fi facility in Delhi, which it promised before election,” he added.

Malik said a plan had been suggested to the authorities concerned to raise a state-of-the-art building at the local railway station, at par with any international airport, and doubling its platforms with an investment of over Rs 200 crore.

“Besides, increasing the strength of platforms from present six to 12 a multi-storey parking lot and administrative complex will also be raised. Residential quarters at the station will be shifted to railway colonies for the optimum utilisation of commercial space,” he added.

He said development works worth Rs 13.75 crore were sanctioned, which would commence within couple of months. Under the approved plan, parking lots of the railway station will be revamped with four separate lanes for four, two and three-wheelers, besides VIP vehicles.

Old ticket booking office at the platform No. 1 will be demolished to make way for a modern one. The present parcel building will be replaced with seven retiring rooms and a dormitory for the general public. Two more escalators will be installed on the opposite side of the railway station, as the platform No. 1 one already has two.