Member of Parliament from Nagaland, S Supongmeren Jamir has taken up multiple critical issues concerning digital connectivity, communication infrastructure and manpower shortages in the state with the Government of India, particularly with the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
In his representations, the MP highlighted the urgent need to strengthen Optical Fibre Connectivity (OFC) across District Headquarters (DHQs) and Block Headquarters (BHQs) in the NE-11 Circle, which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
He pointed out that there are 60 District Headquarters in the NE-11 Circle — 16 in Manipur, 27 in Arunachal Pradesh and 17 in Nagaland. Of these, 39 DHQs are currently connected through OFC or hired links, while 28 still require OFC connectivity.
At the block level, the MP noted that out of 313 Block Headquarters — 168 in Arunachal Pradesh, 70 in Manipur and 75 in Nagaland — only 72 have OFC or hired connectivity, leaving 241 BHQs facing serious connectivity gaps. He emphasized that reliable digital connectivity is critical for governance, education, telemedicine and economic growth, particularly in remote and border areas of the Northeast.
Jamir also raised concerns over manpower shortages in the telecom sector and requested a special recruitment drive for Junior Telecom Officers (JTOs). Out of 25 sanctioned posts, only 18 are currently filled, leaving seven vacancies that are directly affecting telecom maintenance and expansion works, he disclosed.
In the postal sector, the MP urged the department to approve the establishment of a Sub-Division Post Office at Tuensang and to sanction construction of a new Head Post Office building at Kohima. He further called for construction of small post office buildings at Mangkolomba and Pungro, where land has already been allotted by the state government. He also sought the establishment of a Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) in the state capital to improve access to essential citizen services.
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Highlighting the need for digital modernization, Jamir proposed upgrading the State Data Centre into an AI-powered State Data Centre (NSDC 2.0) and introducing a Naga Chain blockchain-based service delivery system to strengthen transparency, efficiency and accountability in governance.
The MP further drew attention to severe staff shortages in public broadcasting institutions. He highlighted that at Doordarshan Kendra Kohima, out of 144 sanctioned posts, only 55 are filled, leaving 89 vacancies. In All India Radio Nagaland, the total sanctioned strength is 255, but only 88 positions are filled, leaving 167 vacancies across programme, administration and engineering sections. He said such large-scale vacancies are adversely impacting broadcasting quality and outreach in the state.
Calling for immediate government action, Jamir urged the concerned ministries to strengthen OFC connectivity across district and block headquarters, fill technical and broadcasting vacancies, upgrade digital and postal infrastructure, and ensure that Nagaland is not left behind in the national digital growth framework.
He reiterated that equitable infrastructure development in the Northeast is essential for inclusive national progress.
