AGARTALA, July 12 (TIWN): Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that the Modi Government at the centre has a great plans for the land-locked Tripura especially towards intensifying telecom connectivity. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would invest Rs. 67 crore for Tripura, said Prasad on Saturday at Agartala.Telecom Minister was addressing the launching programme of international internet gateway at Agartala via Bangladesh.Prasad said as part of the master plan of the Government of India the northeast Tripura was given much priority in terms of telecom connectivity. BSNL had already installed 162 towers for mobile VTS whereas more 11 to be installed here in Tripura very soon, said Prasad.He also said the BSNL as part of intensifying the telecom service here in Tripura had launched Next Generation Service where 4 towers had been installed with 6 more in pipeline.Minister addressing the programme on Saturday making a hectic statement said, “To facilitate the growth of eGovernance in the north-eastern states, a software technology park (STP) will be set up in Tripura.”Adding to that he said the park would be set up covering 6000 sq.ft and if everything falls in right place than the center would become operational by 3 months from now. This will be the fifth such in the northeastern region.The TIDC is the nodal body of the STP while Hyderabad-based Avon Technologies India Private limited is the consultant and Mumbai-based D.K. Infrastructure Private Limited is executing the project.The STP in Agartala would be the fifth information technology centre in northeast India after the Guwahati, Imphal, Gangtok and Aizawl STPs.

Prasad said that the STP would provide all sorts of facilities for the growth of information technology industries in the northeastern region for the purpose of socio-economic development.

STPs are being set up in India by the STPI authority since 1991 to encourage, promote and boost software exports from India besides expansion of the information technology infrastructure and software industry.

However, later Union Minister said, “The central government had brought Rs. 5000 crore package for the development of the telecom services in the entire northeastern region.” Adding Prasad said, “There would be no development from the curtain of politics.”

He also said that the BSNL had added a total of 47 lakhs active customers in the last one year and had been trying to put the best effort to intensify services across the northeastern region. BSNL posted its first loss at over Rs 1,800 crore in 2009-10. It had a record profit of over Rs 10,000 crore in 2007-08. Last year, BSNL’s losses were around Rs 7,600 crore.

“Improvement of northeastern region is very much important and a matter of concern for us,” Prasad said on Saturday.   

Communications and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is keen to revive BSNL and MTNL. MTNL provides services in Delhi and Mumbai, and BSNL in the rest of India.

Besides, in regard of Digital India Prasad said that the ministry on July 1 is estimated to have received an investment commitment of about Rs. 4.7 lakh crore from leading Indian conglomerates and global companies. “Our efforts are in the way of taking dream of Digital India further,” Prasad said.

Prasad hoped that the project of building Tripura Agartala the third international internet gateway to be linked with Bangladesh Cox Bazar would be completed in a speculated time maintain the quality.