The Hindu : National : Telephone links restored

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

National

National

Telephone links restored

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 29. At a review meeting today by the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran, it was informed that all the 12 telephone exchanges in the Tamil Nadu telecom circle and all five mobile base trans-receiver stations affected by the tsunami on Sunday, had become operational.

Senior officials have been instructed to contact the District Collectors to provide communication assistance to meet the exigencies of the situation. Helplines have also been provided for.

Mr. Maran directed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited officials to install INMARSAT on top priority basis in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and to charge normal tariff for this. . Telephones in the tsunami-hit areas would not be disconnected for non-payment of bills.

In the Andaman & Nicobar telecom circle, five telephone exchanges — at Diglipur, Kalighat, Kalera, Kishori Nagar and Ram Nagar — had been restored and satellite equipment at Diglipur, Campbel Bay and Kamorta had been restored. Five INMARSAT terminals had been airlifted to Port Blair and 10 such terminals had been diverted from other circles to Andaman & Nicobar. These are to be used as PCOs in areas where telecommunication facilities are out of order.

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