Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot on Thursday reviewed connectivity related issues in the border areas of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pilot chaired a high level meeting of the officers of the state government, Ministry of Home Affairs, Army, BSNL, Department of Telecom.

He also reviewed connectivity related issues in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir at Poonch, officials said.

This is second review by the Minister in the last few months, in view of the sensitivity of the area and the high priority the government attaches to development of telecom facilities in the region.

At Rajouri, Pilot launched WiMAX connectivity system across the state. This would be implemented at a cost of Rs 12.8 crore, enabling high-speed wireless broadband Internet access in rural and remote parts of the state.

Talking to the media, Pilot said data connectivity will enable applications like e-learning and e-health to roll out in remote and inaccessible areas of the state.

Expanding the reach of modern telecommunication systems in the state, BSNL plans to erect 108 Wimax Towers in Jammu & Kashmir during 2012-13, of which 13 would be in Rajouri and Poonch.

The Minister said 41 locations in the state now have 3G access, including remote areas like Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and Samba.

Dedicating the modernised Head Post Office at Rajouri, Pilot said world class postal facilities would now be available to people of Rajouri.

Under the project Arrow, 17 post offices in the state have been modernised at an expenditure of over Rs 2.2 crore, including the post offices at Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Poonch.

In Jammu, Pilot visited the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) campus and launched a course in Computer Concepts in Dogri. NIELIT has also partnered with the state government to provide employable skills to the youth of the state.

Pilot said IT infrastructure in the state is being strengthened and the Department of Electronics and IT has sanctioned Rs 37 crore for setting up the State Data Centre.

It will be launched early next year, he said, adding, Rs 37.5 crore has been sanctioned for setting up the State Wide Area Network, which would also be implemented next year.

The Minister also inaugurated the Cyber Forensic Lab at Jammu, and said with the widespread use of IT in all areas of personal and professional life, cybercrime has become a real challenge.

While Cyber Forensic Laboratory in Srinagar is functional, the one in Jammu was dedicated today, he added.