BSNL to set up 2,000 towers in tribal areas: Kruparani

• 227 towers approved for Andhra Pradesh at a cost of A Rs 300 crore
• Rs 60 crore automated mail processing centre to be set up in Hyd
• An IT Investment Region soon to boost software exports

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Killi Kruparani said that BSNL would set up 2000 new towers in tribal areas as a part of strengthening mobile signal system in tribal areas. Addressing a meeting with the businessmen of FAPCCI on issues being faced by Information Technology Industry, Killi said that the government allocated Rs 3,000 crore for the establishment of 2000 towers for better mobile network coverage in the tribal areas of the country. She said that about 227 towers were approved for Andhra Pradesh costing Rs 300 crore. Killi announced a slew of initiatives for Andhra Pradesh which included establishment of an automated mail processing centre at Hyderabad at a cost of Rs 60 crore and providing connectivity to institutions under National Knowledge Network, wherein a bandwidth of 1 gbps would be provided free of cost to 28 institutions costing Rs 60 crore. The government decided to set up electronic manufacturing clusters in the State, she said and added that an IT Investment Region would be made ready soon to encourage software exports. The Minister also said mobile money order service would be started in the State by the end of June 2013, through which money could be transferred from one location to another using BSNL mobile network and the reach of postal department. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information Technology Ponnala Laxmaiah said that the IT exports from the State occupied 39 per cent from the total exports.