Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference MPs Dr Farooq Abdullah and Hasnain Masoodi on Monday called for increasing the reach of BSNL telecom services across J&K to bring the unconnected sections of the population with the network thereby removing the digital divide.
This they said while attending the first telecom advisory committee meeting conducted by BSNL, Kashmir after the COVID- 19 pandemic. The meeting was chaired by Mohsin Gul Mufti and Co-chaired by Dr Farooq Abdullah and MP Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi. The meeting was also attended by various stakeholders and concerned office bearers.
During the breadth of the meeting, the MPs were briefed about the underway operations and plans of the BSNL especially with an emphasis on the 4G saturation project of the BSNL, Kashmir under which 181 uncovered villages will be targeted. It was also informed that the BSNL, Kashmir was on the path of adding 3014 eNodeB in the valley.
The members of Parliament appreciated the efforts of the BSNL department and assured full support to it in its future endeavours especially in terms of providing government sites, row permissions and speedy power connectivity.
While reviewing the outreach and facilities provided by BSNL, the members of the Parliament asked the Public sector undertaking to lay stress on rural telephony, especially with special emphasis on the development of telecommunication facilities in the remote areas of Uri, Kamal Kote, Gurez, Bandipora, Dawar, Karna and other far-flung areas.
They also impressed upon the department to facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services for growth and development throughout Kashmir and especially in rural, remote and border areas. While planning for the future, the duo asked the department to lay special emphasis on employment generation for local youth in its human resource divisions.
