Daily Times

ISLAMKOT: With an aim to make people empowered through access to information, the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) with the support of Wateen Telecom inaugurated first Free WiFi villages of Tharparkar, Sindh.

The inauguration was performed by SECMC CEO, Mr. Shamsudin Shaikh and TV celebrity and Filmmaker Reham Khan during a ceremony held here in village Senhri Dars of Taulka Islamkot, Tharparkar.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shaikh said that in the first phase, two villages, namely Tharyo Halepoto and Senhri Dars has been provided with the Free WiFi facility at the speed of 3MB. While in the second phase, he added, all the schools of Thar Coal Block II will be made Free WiFi.

“We want to take children of our host communities into the 21st century at par with children of urban centers of the country,” said, Mr. Shaikh.

He said, they are working on to making entire Thar Block II as Free WiFi block in the upcoming phase and ground work is being prepared in this regard.

“We are already implementing a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan for provision of quality education, state of the art health facilities and clean drinking water facilities to the host communities with around population of 10,000 inhabitants,” he said.

“Provision of scholarship to deserving students and Thari Trainee Engineers program has also been underway for Thar Coal Block II residents,” Mr. Shaikh added.

Ms. Reham Khan said “Internet has become necessity of life and provision of the same free of cost to the socioeconomically downtrodden people of Tharparkar is a noble cause”.

“Internet facility will empower them with information and education. Resultantly, they shall be standing at par with fellow countrymen of urban centers,” she said.