Common tele service centres to be set up in all panchayats

Saharsa, Nov 16 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Telecommunications Shakeel Ahmad today announced to set up common service centres in all panchayats across the country for providing modern telecom facilities to the rural masses.

After laying the foundation stone of a mobile tower at Haripur village and inaugurating the broad band services at Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mr Khan said Rs 6000 crores would be spent on setting up common service centres. The work would be taken up in the current fiscal.

He said apart from telephones, these centres would be equipped with internet and other facilities. Registration of births and deaths would be done through computers at these centres.

He disclosed the target for providing telephone connections to 50 crore consumers by 2010 saying that the UPA government had already initiated its move to connect every village with telephone as it has become an essential service for the people.

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