States demand enhanced connectivity from BSNL

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Lack of funds has been a very common issue that states often point out for slow roll out of CSCs but today most of the ICT minsters from states demanded enhanced and quality connectivity for CSCs in their state.

Poongothai Aladi Aruna, Minister of IT, Tamil Nadu started with achievements of her state in e-governance and demanded connectivity from BSNL at the state ICT ministers' conference here today.

“In Tamil Nadu we have one CSC for three panchayats and have plans to roll out 100 per cent CSCs by March 2010. For this we need connectivity to go from taluk to panchayat and we need to connect various departments within that taluk for delivery of services and back to District Head Quarters (DHQs,” said Aruna.

Pleading with the authorities to encourage BSNL to provide connectivity, she said connection should be given to village level entrepreneurs at subsidized rates. Aruna also demanded fund for deploying horizontal and optical fibre connectivity in the state.

AT Mondal, IT minister, Meghalaya demanded that BSNL should start rolling out wi-max in the state for better connectivity across various blocks for connecting CSCs.

“We don’t have Panchayati Raj system in our state. All the work for welfare of villages takes place at block level. Hence connectivity at block level is very important for us. We are looking forward to BSNL to roll out wimax services in our state for better connectivity of CSCs. I would request the union minister to direct BSNL to connect rural parts of the states as early as possible,” said Mondal.

BSNL has been given one block of 2x5MHz spectrum in the 2.1GHz band in all the circles, excluding Mumbai and Delhi.

IT Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kailash Vijayvargiya also voiced the concern of poor connectivity from BSNL across the state.

“Our Chief Minister has identified e-governance as a tool that can bring in transparency in administration, accountability in the departments and deliver quality governance to the public. In our state, 3 per cent budget from every department is spent on IT. We are ready with software of 49 services to be delivered to citizens but BSNL connectivity in our state is low. If the connectivity is increased, it can help us in faster development of e-governance in our state,” pointed out Vijayvargiya.

IT and Communications Minister A. Raja pointed out that there are various administrative issues that have hold rapid expansion plan of BSNL but asked Kuldeep Goyal, BSNL chairman and managing director, to explain the status.

“We have connected approximately 23,000 exchanges out of 29,000 exchanges with broadband. The villages that come under these exchanges have been provided wireline connectivity,” said Goyal.

“Those which do not have wireline connectivity will be soon connected with wireless wimax technology. We are installing wimax equipment to connect 1000 blocks out of the 6000 blocks. We are on our way to finalise wimax installation for the rest of 5000 blocks. Therefore we will cover the entire country with the help of wireline and wireless media,” he added.

Goyal further added that general managers will get in touch with IT head of states to further find out parts where connectivity is not available and will work to connect those areas.

He also pointed out that many parts of the state which have connectivity do not completely use connectivity.

“In the meantime, I would request all IT heads of states to utlilise the bandwidth in the state which are lying unused, ” said Goyal.