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More telephones in North-East

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is going ahead with its plans to provide more telephones to applicants in the North and East despite LTTE sabotage, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said, at a progress review meeting of his ministry last week.

This was in line with instructions given by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who had reserved a large slice of the Budget for the development of these areas, he said.

There were only 2000 telephones in the North and East combined in 1994. Current statistics reveal that this figure has been increased to 31,592 phones in both provinces. There were 24,730 applicants on the waiting list as at April, 2001, the Minister said.

LTTE saboteurs are making things difficult for both the Telecommunications Department and peace loving citizens. They have destroyed Telecom Towers, but the development effort will continue in spite of that. The towers have been repaired and a target for supplying 5,000 new phones in the near future will be met, the Minister said.

The total number of fixed telephones in Sri Lanka as at April this year was 782,086, of which 653,144 were provided by Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd. The two private companies Lanka Bell have added 128,932 phones.

The total number on the waiting list countrywide is 279,020, the Minister added.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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