Lok Sabha Question No. 1545 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: Landline Telephones
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: AJAY (TENI) MISRA, RAVINDRA BABU  PANDULA

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1545**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 29** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**LANDLINE TELEPHONES**

**†1545. SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:**

**DR. RAVINDRA BABU:**

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) 	whether there is a waiting list of telephone on demand in different States as on date, State-wise;

(b) 	if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c)	 the steps taken by the Government in this regard and the time by which the same is likely to be cleared;

(d) 	whether the telephone exchanges are functioning with their full capacity across the country, if so, the details thereof, State-wise and if not, the action taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) 	whether some private companies are also venturing into the landline telephone sector and if so, the details thereof and the plan prepared by telecom PSUs to compete with them?

ANSWER

**THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY**

**(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)**

(a) & (b)	The telephones are provided on demand.  However, due to technical non feasibility, there is a waiting list.  The details are given at **Annexure.**

(c )    	BSNL and MTNL are making all efforts to clear the waiting list by attending  cable faults, retrieving  cable pairs,  installing DSLAM etc. to make the areas technically feasible.

(d)     	Due to reduced demand of landline telephones, exchanges are not fully loaded.  PSUs 	are taking action like reducing tariff, transparent billing, aggressive 	marketing and 	providing valuable services to increase the demand of landlines in 	the country.

(e)	Yes sir. Some private companies are also present in landline telephone sector. The private sector constitutes 25.45% of total wireline telephones as on May 2015. PSUs are taking all steps to remain competitive.

Contd…2/-

-2-

**Annexure**

| **Sl No**   | **CIRCLE  NAME**     | **Waiting List**   |           |           |
|-------------|----------------------|--------------------|-----------|-----------|
|             |                      | **Urban**          | **Rural** | **Total** |
| **1**       | Andaman Nicobar      | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **2**       | Andhra Pradesh       | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **3**       | Assam                | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **4**       | Bihar                | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **5**       | Chhattisgarh         | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **6**       | Gujarat              | 2100               | 319       | 2419      |
| **7**       | Haryana              | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **8**       | Himachal Pradesh     | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **9**       | Jammu Kashmir        | 207                | 11        | 218       |
| **10**      | Jharkhand            | 59                 | 0         | 59        |
| **11**      | Karnataka            | 1443               | 88        | 1531      |
| **12**      | Kerala               | 2428               | 5599      | 8027      |
| **13**      | Madhya Pradesh       | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **14**      | Maharastra           | 5809               | 801       | 6610      |
| **15**      | North East-I         | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **16**      | North East-II        | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **17**      | Orissa               | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **18**      | Punjab               | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **19**      | Rajasthan            | 1570               | 33        | 1603      |
| **20**      | Tamilnadu            | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **21**      | Uttar Pradesh(E)     | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **22**      | Uttar Pradesh(W)     | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **23**      | Uttaranchal          | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **24**      | West Bengal          | 23                 | 15        | 38        |
| **25**      | Calcutta             | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
| **26**      | Chennai              | 0                  | 0         | 0         |
|             | **BSNL (Total)**     | 13639              | 6866      | 20505     |
|             | **AS ON 31.03.2015** |                    |           |           |
| 27          | Delhi                | 0                  |           | 0         |
| 28          | Mumbai               | 1495               |           | 1495      |
|             | **MTNL (Total)**     | 1495               |           | 1495      |

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