MTNL expansion on DoT viability

CHENNAI, OCT 19: The viability of operations of the Department of Telecommunications DoT would be considered before allowing the public sector Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd MTNL, to expand its basic telephone services to more cities, Union communications minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Paswan said MTNL offered its services to the profitiable urban centres while DoT had to take care of unprofitable rural areas also. Hence subjecting urban telecom circles to more competition might affect the viability of DoT, he said adding that it was his intention to make DoT as efficient as MTNL.

Reiterating that his ministry would shortly come out with a new communications policy aimed at providing transparency in the working of the department, Paswan said it would also include providing telephone facilities in all villages of the country by the year 2002.