Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

25-October-2012 17:07 IST

Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sh. Sachin Pilot today reviewed connectivity related issues in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir at Poonch. Officials from the State Government, Ministry of Home Affairs, Army, BSNL, Department of Telecom and others were present.

This is second review by the Minister in the last few months in view of the sensitivity of the area and the high priority the Government attaches to development of telecom facilities in the region.

At Rajouri, Sh Pilot launched WIMAX across the state. This would be implemented at a cost of Rs. 12.8 crores, enabling high-speed broadband access wirelessly in rural and remote parts of the state. Talking to the media, Sh Pilot said data connectivity will enable applications like e-learning and e-health to roll out to remote and inaccessible areas of the state. Expanding the reach of modern telecommunication systems in the state, BSNL plans to erect 108 Wimax Towers in Jammu & Kashmir during 2012-13, of which 13 would be in Rajouri and Poonch. The Minister informed that 41 locations in the state now have 3G access.3, including remote areas like Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, Samba etc.

Dedicating the modernized Head Post Office at Rajouri, Sh Pilot said world class postal facilities would now be available to people of Rajouri. Under Project Arrow 17 post offices in the state have been modernized at an expenditure of over Rs. 2.2 crores, including the post offices at Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Poonch.

In Jammu, Sh. Pilot visited the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) campus and launched a course in Computer Concepts in Dogri. NIELIT has also partnered with the State Government to provide employable skills to the youth of the state. Sh. Pilot said IT infrastructure in the state is being strengthened. He said Department of Electronics and IT has sanctioned Rs. 37 crores for setting up the State Data Centre which will be launched early next year.The Minister said Rs. 37.5 crores has been sanctioned to set up the State Wide Area Network, and this would also be implemented next year.

The Minister also inaugurated the Cyber Forensic Lab at Jammu, saying that with the widespread use of IT in all areas of personal and professional life, cybercrime has become a real challenge. He said, to create resources in this area, Cyber Forensic Laboratories are being set up. While the one in Srinagar is functional, the one in Jammu was dedicated today.

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BK/AT

High-speed rural broadband rollout expands wireless connectivity and cyber forensic capacity in border areas, enabling e-learning and e-health access. Expansion of telecom and digital infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir focuses on extending high speed wireless broadband via WIMAX to remote border areas, broadening 3G coverage, enabling e services such as e learning and e health, modernizing postal facilities, launching vernacular IT training, sanctioning funds for a State Data Centre and State Wide Area Network, and dedicating a Cyber Forensic Laboratory to build investigative capacity against cybercrime.