Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha today gave a stern message to BSNl that he will not tolerate any delay in service and it should connect one lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) to set up a network infrastructure to serve the rural masses. He said, all are working with zeal to achieve the target of connecting 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with broadband network within stipulated timeframe, which is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Digital India. Speaking at an award ceremony function of BSNl Sinha said, “Those who are working with zeal should be rewarded and those with a result of negative growth should take VRS”.
The Minister urged BSNl to do invention, research and come with new technology and to give world class products for achieving Prime Minister’s vision of Transforming India through Digital Revolution. He said that there is need for innovation as India cannot afford to emulate the Developed Economies due to limited resources. He also urged BSNl officers and employees to set an ambitious target of 15 percent Telecom penetration, within a time frame, from the existing 10.4 percent. He also expressed concern that despite the worldwide trend, the number of land line connections in India is decreasing every day and BSNl should think seriously about this issue.
He said, “Unless the BSNl will not improve its service quality, Plan-49 or Plan-II-49 will not succeed to have connection at Rs 49. BSNl through the above two plans have made call free on Sunday and from 9.00 pm to 7 am each day and is also providing broadband connectivity at cheaper rates. Resolve all the complaints promptly and any reluctance on this front will not be tolerated”.