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Improving teledensity key priority: Telecom Secretary

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V&D Bureau
New Update

While taking charge as the new telecom secretary, Rakesh Garg said that increasing rural teledensity will be among the top agendas of the ministry.

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"It will be prime objective to take broadband connectivity to village level,  that is to increase telecom infrastructure. Second priority is to take rural telecom penetration from 44 per cent to 100 per cent in coming 3-4 years," media reports quoting Garg said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad have given this responsibility to the Department of Telecom.

"Consumers want to have telecom connectivity in every part of the country. They do not want to stay away from phone. Like it is said that every village should have road, power... similarly, in every village not only telephone but broadband connectivity should also reach," he said.

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"We will look at and resolve all issues hampering increase of rural telecom penetration," Garg said.

The Government ‘s target is to roll-out optical fiber network in 50,000 panchayats by March 2015 and another one lakh by March 2016 and all the 2.5 lakh by March 2017. The Cabinet has already approved Rs 20,000 crore for this project in October 2011.

Currently the tele-density of urban areas is 145% while rural areas is just 45%.

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The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Garg, a 1980 batch IAS officer, who replaced former telecom secretary MF Farooqui.

Garg was earlier serving as the principal secretary in Uttar Pradesh. He has also served in the ministries of tourism, department of food and public distribution.

 

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