SILIGURI, : Darjeeling MP Raju Bista on Thursday announced a stable BSNL media
network for Kalimpong district during the inaugural ceremony of 2025 Telecom
Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting held at Siliguri.
Bista
said that the media network for Kalimpong was a long-standing connectivity
challenge for the hilly region and now customers can avail the facility easily.
“Earlier, Kalimpong relied on a fault-prone
optical fiber cable (OFC) network along NH-31A via Sikkim, spanning 144 km,
with 70 km passing through Sikkim. Frequent landslides and road damage
disrupted this outdated system, affecting 1,277 FTTH customers — the highest
district-wise in West Bengal, 48 lease circuits, and over 54,000 mobile
connections. Government offices, banks, and private institutions dependent on
BSNL faced regular service interruptions. An earlier route via Lava-Gorubathan
to Siliguri was abandoned in 2012 due to road widening,” said the Darjeeling MP.
Bista
said that he was made aware of this issue at the last BSNL TAC meeting.
“Recognizing
the need for a reliable solution, I asked for supporting documents, and engaged
with the Telecom Ministry and BSNL leadership. Following discussions with the Telecom
minister and correspondence with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and
BSNL’s chairman and managing director, approval was granted. On October 5,
2024, BSNL contracted 10G bandwidth from Power Grid Corporation of India
Limited for Rs. 34 lakhs annually, with installation completed by October 21,
2024. A six-month trial confirmed its reliability, and the network is now fully
operational,” said the Darjeeling MP.
This
upgrade ensures consistent connectivity for Kalimpong, supporting BSNL’s operations
and aligning with Digital India’s vision espoused by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, said Bista. He thanked Telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Department
of Telecommunications, BSNL, and local stakeholders for their cooperation in
delivering this outcome for the district.
