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'Internet connectivity for all district headquarters in India by Aug 15'

The Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Parliament) passed the 2000-01 demands for grants amounting to Rs 704.9 million for the communications ministry after minister Ramvilas Paswan assured that all district headquarters would be provided Internet connectivity by August 15.

Opposition members walked out of the House before the voice vote, expressing dissatisfaction over the minister's reply.

Paswan said that all the block head-offices would be provided telephone connections by August 15.

National security would be taken care while implementing the Internet connectivity scheme, the minister said.

He ruled out the possibility of going back on the privatisation process.

The revenue sharing policy had boosted the confidence of the private operators to extend telephone services in villages, he said.

It was proposed to increase the average telephone density to seven per cent by 2005, from the present 2.6, and in rural areas to four per cent, from 0.6 per cent.

UNI

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