Guwahati, April 2: Minister of state for communications and railways Manoj Sinha inaugurated the first full-fledged postal training centre for the Northeast at Saukuchi here today.

This centre will provide in-service and induction training to the employees of postal service of the region.

The facility can train 50 people per batch and it is equipped with a full-fledged computer laboratory. Arundhuti Ghosh, chief postmaster-general, Assam circle, and chief postmaster-general, Northeast circle, I. Pangerungsum, were present at the programme.

There was no permanent training centre in the Northeast till today.

Sinha said, "The BJP-led central government has always given emphasis on improving postal connectivity in the Northeast. The postal department and its employees play a great role to ensure better connectivity in the region because of its unique geographical location. This training centre is a milestone in this regard."

The minister also praised the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Assam circle, for developing telecom facilities in Assam as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative.

Sinha inauguratedthe Kalapahar telephone exchange through remote controlat a function at the Don Bosco School auditorium.

The upgraded telephone exchange is equipped with next-generation network, an Internet protocol-based system, which can provide telecommunication services by using multiple broadband and offering unrestricted access by users to different service providers.

Chief general manager of BSNL, Assam circle, M.K. Seth, and Anil Jain, chief general manager of National Centre for Next Generation Network, New Delhi, were present at the function.

Alok Kar, deputy general manager of the BSNL's marketing division, said, "The minister appreciated our efforts in developing telecom facilities in the region. We have used the latest network in Kalapahar telephone exchange. It is already being used in our exchanges at Panbazar and Dispur."

The minister later held a review meeting with the officers of BSNL and the postal department and discussed their development activities in the Northeast. He also distributed certificates and shields to the best performers in secondary switching area in SIM sales in March. More than one lakh mobile customers have been added that month.