After two years, AAP govt admits free WiFi and subsidised canteen not any time soon

The AAP government indicated on Tuesday that the realisation of its two key promises of providing free Wi-Fi and opening subsidised canteens will take more time.

At the annual report release of the government's "achievements", Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia refused to set any deadline for the roll out of the ambitious Wi-Fi project saying AAP had promised to implement it within five years and not two years.

However, the Dialogue and Development Commission had earlier announced that 1,000 hot spots would be created in east Delhi by December 2016, where free internet would be provided till a pre-determined limit. On the other hand, PWD Minister Satyendar Jain said 100 subsidised canteens would come up in hospitals across the city as part of the first phase of the project but did not give any deadline in this regard.

Only one such canteen, opened recently, is currently operational at the LNJP Hospital where meals are available within Rs 10. DDC had in 2015 announced setting up of Aam Aadmi Canteens in the city, a scheme inspired by Tamil Nadu's highly subsidised Amma canteens. The initial deadline of opening few such facilities was Independence Day 2015.

The proposal was to serve "nutritious and delicious" meals in the Rs 5-10 range to those who cannot afford, especially around 10 lakh construction workers, hawkers and families living in JJ clusters, and students of technical institutes.