Virbhadra meets Prasad, seeks strengthening of commn network

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today met Minister for Communication and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad and conveyed to him the need for better communication network in high-altitude and far-flung areas of the state.
He sought strengthening of broadband services and mobile facilities in the areas.
Singh told Prasad that due to heavy snowfall in high altitude areas the communication services are getting disrupted and power and mobile services are also hampered, particularly during disasters.
He urged the Union Minister for improved communication services and better network in the state, besides providing facilities like solar power in far-flung areas so that the mobile and broadband services are not affected.

Singh said the government had started IT courses in its school syllabus to prepare the younger generation to be IT- savvy.
Prasad assured Singh that the Centre will take all necessary measures to strengthen the IT network and similar facilities in the state.

Singh also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought deployment of Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Chamba district which borders Jammu and Kashmir. He said ITBP was deployed in the state earlier but was removed in December 2012.
He also called for including Shimla in the ambitious "megapolicing scheme" of the Centre for urban areas of the country.

He also raised the issue of ex-servicemen retired from the Border Security Force with the Home Minister.
Singh had yesterday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley besides others.