Monthly rental waived off, call rates slashed for soldiers on Pak, China borders
TNN Bureau. Updated: 10/19/2017 1:12:07 AM
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JAMMU: In line with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s assurance of revising the satellite phones call charges for the soldiers posted at borders along Pakistan and China, the government on Wednesday let out a diwali gift for these bravehearts, slashing the tariff from Rs 5 per minute to Rs 1, while also waiving off the fixed monthly rates, currently at Rs 500.
Minister for Communications Manoj Sinha on Wednesday announced Diwali gift of slashed talk-time and waiver of fixed monthly rates to soldiers serving on the Pakistan and China borders.
Sinha said, “From Diwali day (19th October, 2017), no monthly fee will be taken for using DSPT service, that is, the current monthly fee of Rs 500 will be ‘Zero’ from Thursday.”
“And also, the present telephone charges of Rs 5 per minute is being reduced to Re 1 per minute,” he said.
In order to use the facility of DSPT, the soldiers & officers at present are required to pay monthly fee of Rs 500 and call charges of Rs 5 per minute.
He said, “With this special Diwali Gift from Government of India, Defence personnel can now talk without worrying for more expenses to their home and their Headquarters.”
Communication Minister said, “The soldiers and officers of various army and para-military units like CRPF, BSF, BRO, ITBP, etc, deployed in remote and far flung areas to protect Borders and they use only DSPT service provided by BSNL because there is no other means of communications available in those areas.”
“The soldiers and officers are working day and night without bothering about difficult weather conditions and as they are posted away from their homes and headquarters, there is a constant requirement for them to speak to their family and also to their Headquarters,” he added.
Pertinently, Union Minister Rajnath Singh on September 30 had assured the security personnel deployed along the Pakistan and China borders to take up the issue of high mobile call rates with the authorities concerned.
The home minister had said he was not happy that the rates were revised to Rs 5 per minute sometime ago."This is the only means for our jawans to talk to their homes and families. I will definitely take this up," he had said, while addressing locals and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops at the 1st battalion camp in Joshimath.