Suresh Prabhu Writes To Telecom Minister On Poor Connectivity In Konkan Region

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has drawn the attention of Telecommunication Minister Manoj Sinha to the problem of poor telephone connectivity in Konkan region, including Sindhudurg district.

A native of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, Suresh Prabhu currently represents Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha.

In a recent letter to Mr Sinha, the railway minister has highlighted the "poor infrastructural facilities, shortage of staff and frequent disruptions in services after every rainfall and storm" in the region.

"I would like to bring your attention towards the problems faced by the residents of Konkan region, including district Sindhudurg, with regard to the telephone connectivity," Mr Prabhu said.

Mr Sinha is also the minister of state for railways.

He has said the problems are "related to shortage of staff, need to upgrade infrastructure facilities, including National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS)".

Restoration of services becomes a major challenge owing to shortage of staff, he has said in the letter.

Describing the topography of Sindhudurg as "unique", Mr Prabhu has said, "As a matter of fact, the mobile coverage is very poor in difficult and hilly areas of Sindhudurg district."

Seeking a permanent solution to the problem, he has demanded additional infrastructure and upgradation of the existing facilities in the region.

Fast track implementation of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) would complement the overall efforts of improving connectivity in the region, the letter said.

"I request you to pay personal attention in the above matter and instruct officials to take necesary steps for extending the telecom services to the last mile in the district of Sindhdurg and Konkan region effectively," Mr Prabhu has said.