Supongmeren takes up connectivity, manpower shortages with Centre

Member of Parliament S. Supongmeren Jamir has taken up issues relating to digital connectivity, communication infrastructure and manpower shortages in the state with the Government of India, particularly the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
In a press statement, MP highlighted the urgent requirement for Optical Fibre Connectivity (OFC) across District Headquarters (DHQs) and Block Headquarters (BHQs) in the NE-11 Circle.
According to the statement, in the NE-11 Circle there are 16 DHQs in Manipur, 27 in Arunachal Pradesh and 17 in Nagaland. At present, 39 DHQs are connected through OFC or hired links, while 28 DHQs are yet to be connected.
With regard to BHQs, out of 313 in the NE-11 Circle– 168 in Arunachal Pradesh, 70 in Manipur and 75 in Nagaland– only 72 have OFC or hired connectivity, while 241 continue to face connectivity gaps. The MP stressed that digital connectivity was essential for governance, education, telemedicine and economic growth, particularly in remote areas of the Northeast.
He also requested a special recruitment drive for Junior Telecom Officers (JTOs), stating that out of 25 sanctioned posts, 18 were in position and seven were vacant. He said shortage of technical staff was affecting telecom maintenance and expansion works.
The MP further urged the department to approve establishment of a Sub-Division Post Office at Tuensang, sanction construction of a new Head Post Office building at Kohima, and take up construction of small post office buildings at Mangkolomba and Pungro, where land has already been allotted by the state government. He also sought establishment of a Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at the state capital.
In addition, he proposed modernization of the State Data Centre into an AI-powered State Data Centre (NSDC 2.0) and introduction of Naga Chain blockchain-based service delivery systems to strengthen transparent and efficient governance.
Highlighting manpower shortages in broadcasting institutions, the MP stated that at Doordarshan Kendra Kohima, out of 144 sanctioned posts, only 55 were in position, leaving 89 vacant.
At All India Radio Nagaland, in the programme section, 14 personnel were in position against 74 sanctioned posts, leaving 60 vacant. In the administration section, 34 were in position against 90 sanctioned posts, with 56 vacancies.
In the engineering section, 41 were in position against 91 sanctioned posts, leaving 50 vacant. Altogether, out of 255 sanctioned posts in AIR Nagaland, only 88 were in position, with 167 vacancies.
The MP said such large-scale vacancies were severely affecting broadcasting quality and outreach in the state. He urged the concerned ministries to take time-bound action to strengthen OFC connectivity, fill technical and broadcasting vacancies, and upgrade digital and postal infrastructure so that Nagaland was not left behind in the national digital growth framework.