MP raises HP’s poor BSNL connectivity in Lok Sabha, flags staff crunch, network gaps
The MP highlighted a severe shortage of technical staff in BSNL across the state.
The MP highlighted a severe shortage of technical staff in BSNL across the state. (File photo) BJP Member of Parliament from Shimla Suresh Kashyap Wednesday raised serious concerns in the Lok Sabha over poor telecom connectivity in Himachal Pradesh, particularly the deteriorating BSNL network and acute staff shortages affecting services in remote and tribal regions of the state.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Kashyap said Himachal Pradesh’s difficult mountainous terrain, coupled with heavy rainfall, snowfall, and frequent natural disruptions, often damages telecom infrastructure and hampers service delivery. He pointed out that restoration teams are frequently forced to trek long distances to repair faults in far-flung areas, leading to prolonged outages.
The MP highlighted a severe shortage of technical staff in BSNL across the state. Citing official figures, he informed the House that against 192 sanctioned posts of Senior Sub-Divisional Engineers (SDEs), only 81 are currently in position. Similarly, only 165 Junior Telecom Officers (JTOs) are working against 282 sanctioned posts, while just 110 Junior Engineers (JEs) are available against 177 posts. This manpower deficit, he said, is causing serious difficulties in network maintenance and timely restoration of services in remote regions.
Kashyap also raised the issue of extremely poor connectivity in several parts of his parliamentary constituency, stating that even 2G services are not functioning properly in many remote areas despite installation of mobile towers. He questioned the government on concrete steps being taken to fill vacancies and improve telecom infrastructure, and also sought clarity on the expansion of 5G services in the hill state.
Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed the House that, for the first time, monthly and quarterly performance reviews of BSNL circles are being undertaken. These reviews cover both operational and financial parameters, monitoring nearly ten key indicators such as cable cut incidents, average repair time, and BTS uptime. The government has set a target of ensuring at least 95% uptime, with provisions for redeployment and resource adjustments wherever manpower shortages are identified.
The Minister added that under special connectivity initiatives funded through Digital Bharat Nidhi, the government aims to provide world-class connectivity even in economically unviable and geographically challenging regions. Under the “Full Saturation” scheme, about 3,000 villages have been identified nationwide for coverage through 21,000 telecom towers, of which 17,000 have already been installed.
Kashyap asserted that strengthening telecom services in Himachal’s remote and border areas remains his priority and said he would continue to raise the issue until tangible improvements are achieved.
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