New Delhi: Rajya Sabha member Wansuk Syiem made a strong case for a special telecom policy for the Northeast where the network is very poor despite having a strategic location.
Participating in the discussion on the vote of thanks on the President’s address, Wansuk expressed her displeasure over neglect of the Northeast by the new government.
Nothing much was mentioned about the remote and backward region in the President’s address which gives first glimpse of the new government’s future action plan, she said.
But interestingly, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu who was in the chair during the discussion had all praises for her. She was brief and to the point he remarked at the end of her speech advising other members to emulate her.
Wansuk said the state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) should be the torch bearer in the Northeast where private players are not in a big role. On the other hand, if the telecom network is good, the youths of the region can be employed in call centres and BPOs within the region, she said.
Incidentally, BSNL has recently launched its Bharat Fibre services in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura. This can deliver high-speed internet and high-quality voice service to its customers. Since the Bharat Fibre services are provided on optical fiber right up to the customer premises, reliability and better quality of services to the customers are assured, as per the claims of the operators.
But Wansuk said that there is a serious network problem in the region causing immense problem to the common people. This basic problem should be solved before talking up advanced plans, she added.
