Dimapur, December 15 (MExN): The Public Grievances Department of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Wednesday demanded that the telecom authorities immediately rectify and start spot testing of network services in Nagaland.
In a press statement, it cited information received through the filing of an RTI to the CPIO of Deputy Director General (Nagaland), NELSH Dimapur and said that various documents including sanction order from the Government of India for construction of towers in Nagaland; fund utilisation certificates, expenditure statements, challans, bill vouchers, MB Numbers, were available in the office.
“The Nagaland DDG office have no records on responsibilities of the network mobile services. However, USOF, DOT, Government of India has interest into agreement with M/S BHL (Airtel) vide No. 30.252-4/2017-USF/90 dates December 8, 2017 for provision of mobile services in identified villages and seamless mobile coverage along National Highways under Universal Service Obligation Fund Scheme,” it said.
In this regard, it said that there are 4,942 base transceiver stations (BTS) spread across the 12 districts of Nagaland as on August 31, 2021 out of which 1,840 are under Airtel, 312 with BSNL, 2102 with Reliance, Jio Info Comm Ltd, and 688 with Vodafone, Idea Ltd.
Basing on the first RTI reply, it said that another RTI was filed with the First Appellate Authority, North East LSA, Shillong for further clarification. However, it said that the petition was disposed off without hearing the merit and demerit of the grievances. This, it said, was an act of serious inactiveness and inefficiency on the part of the Telecommunication Department.
As such, it demanded that the DDG (A) Department of Telecommunication, North East LSA, Shillong immediately rectify and start spot testing of network services in places where towers are already constructed and restore network services in the interest of the consumers of the state.
