Centre lauds Keshab Mahanta

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 10: Assam IT Minister Keshab Mahanta has participated in the SIMCON-State Information Minister Conference being held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Organized by Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the main aim of the conference is to discuss the ways and means of dissemiting information. In his speech, Mahanta said that the Assam government has taken a slew of measures to reach out to the common people. He said that the government has put up fixed loud speakers at important places to broadcast news of All India Radio so that people can keep themselves updated. He said ‘Mann ki Baat’ of Prime Minister rendra Modi is also broadcast through fixed loud speakers.

Mahanta said that the Assam government has implemented a Jourlists’ Medical Welfare Scheme and gives land for jourlist housing society.

 Among the new initiatives, the Assam Government has taken up step for jourlists pension scheme, jourlists family benefit fund and an institute of Mass Communication and Printing Technology and Research by the me of great writer Lakshmith Bezbaroah, award to jourlists in memory of Kamala Saikia, who was killed by militants. “Under jourlists’ medical welfare scheme, we have provided a one-time fincial assistance of over Rs. 31 lakh to 59 jourlists and their family members,” he said.

The Information and Technology Department in the State, headed by him, has taken steps to provide internet, television and telephone connection to all families by a single system. His department has also started to provide optical fibre connection up to panchyat level.  Mahanta said that the government also prepared an Assam Vision Document in a bid to strengthen information dissemiting system.

The cable TV digitization process is also being carried out in a war footing in Assam. “The phase three has already been completed and I hoped that the phase four will be completed by 31st of this month,” he added.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore appreciated Keshab Mahanta for installing fixed loud speakers at public places. He said that as all people could not carry a radio so through fixed loud speakers people can listen to news and ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkiah idu was also present in the conference.