With fresh ideas, Deora takes charge in telecom ministry -Governance Now

With fresh ideas, Deora takes charge in telecom ministry

Plans to increase telephony services in rural areas at affordable prices

PTI | July 14, 2011

Milind Deora, who took charge as Minister of State for IT and Communication on Wednesday, said he looked forward to doing "something new...with fresh ideas" in coordination with his young colleague Sachin Pilot in the ministry.

A two-time Congress MP from South Mumbai, the 34-year old Deora said there is scope for improvement in the ministry, while emphasising on maximising telecom penetration in the country. He said he would identify the areas which require improvement.

"The way things have been done traditionally...where we can improve and where we can bring in some fresh ideas. I am here too...to bring in some knowledge...," he said.

Deora, who is son of Congress veteran and former Corporate Affairs Minister Mural Deora joins his friend Pilot, under senior Minister Kapil Sibal.

"I am happy to have a friend and colleague Sachin Pilot. So I am looking forward to doing something new. Perhaps we are looking at some of the issue related to the ministry..." Deora said.

Deora who expressed his "sincere gratitude" to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, also praised Sibal whom he met before taking charge. "I think he is a very fine minister to work under," the junior minister, a graduate from Mumbai and Boston University, said.

An accomplished guitarist, Deora refused to comment on his predecessor Gurudas Kamat, who resigned apparently upset over the new portfolio offered to him. "I really don't want to speak on it. It is a very positive day for me," Deora said.

Asked about his priorities, he said it would be to increase telephony services in rural areas at affordable prices."The service offered will have to be affordable, but has to give revenue to the government as well," he said.

Comments

Other News

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state. According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po

Borrowing troubles: How small loans are quietly trapping youth

A silent crisis is playing out in the pocket of young India, not in stock markets or government treasuries, but in smartphones of college students and first-jobbers who clicked on the Apply Now button without reading the small print. A decade ago, to take a loan, you had to do some paperwor