Local assembly of mobile telephones
It is heartening news that at long last the government (through BTTB?) has agreed to make available the facilities of the TSS (Telephone Shilpa Sangstha) for the local assembly of mobile cell telephones. Why local assembly has been started so late, allowing the local market to be flooded with outdated and smuggled mobile telephone sets, without authorised service facilities? Because BTTB was not in the mobile market for so long! BTRC, the telecoms regulatory body is a new set-up, and could not push the initiative against the entrenched interests controlling BTTB. The later is controlling the interfaces, also the submarine cable project. Why this divide-and-rule policy continues? BTTB should compete openly, on a level playing ground. Bug business is also politics-oriented, behind the scenes, but it is a taboo issue in the parliament.
The Cabinet may review how to recast and modernise the operations of BTTB. Similar negative environment exists in the energy and power sectors, making some groups privately rich, exploiting the demand and supply equations (illegal connections, and corrupt practices involving nepotism).
Overall, as the British HC pointed out (DS, Nov 18), we have to modernise our civil service, and get away from the Raj aroma. The political parties spend too much time and energy on one another, and the national priorities go by default, causing high systems losses in the public sector.
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