However, the USF Co board meeting is scheduled for upcoming Monday where bidding in these agencies would be approved. The board meeting would be chaired by State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rehman. This was stated by USF officials while briefing the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication which met with Senator Taj Muhammad Afridi in the chair here on Tuesday. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) USF, Syed Asif Kamal said that Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has directed for working in these areas on the basis of the telecom operators' available data. He further said that they have been struggling to get NOC since September last year, but it is yet to be issued by the Fata Secretariat and other quarters concerned.
Kamal said that USF Co has received a letter, dated April 5, 2017, from Levy and Khasadar section of law and order department, Fata Secretariat, asking about certain details of the survey activity. Requisite information has again been shared through USF Co on April 10, 2017. However, response is still awaited.
The officials further raised questions whether law enforcement agencies would allow working in the area in the absence of NOC. The Fata Secretariat official informed that NOC is required in the prevailing situation for carrying out projects in the area.
Afridi expressed annoyance over non-serious attitude of Fata Secretariat while saying that IT Ministry and USF are serious and want to spread telecom services to Fata but the Secretariat is not serious.
Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication stressed the need for the execution and completion of telecom projects in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). In meeting senior official of Universal Service Fund (USF) briefed the committee regarding the required NOCs to USF for conducting survey to initiate the projects in under-served and un-served areas of Fata.
The committee convenor also expressed annoyance over the absence of additional chief secretary and secretary law and order from the meeting. If the attitude remains the same, the committee would bring privilege motion against the officials concerned, he added.
The committee recommended the Fata Secretariat for providing foolproof to USF Co to assure smooth implementation of projects in Fata. The committee also recommended for issuing NOC to USF Co for extending telecom services in the area.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017