ABBOTTABAD, July 7: The PTCL Hazara region has shown remarkable success, during the financial year ended on June 30, 2002, by collecting Rs612 million as against the target of Rs600 million.

The director telegraph, Hazara division, disclosed this at the prize distribution ceremony of the staff and officers who had completed the target of installation of 14,000 news telephone connections in the Hazara division.

He said that the PTCL has recovered Rs20 million from defaulters which was another landmark.

The director said that three years back, the total number telephones was 40,000 to which 14,000 more have been added. Also, digital exchanges has risen to 77 from 32.

He said that the installation of new digital exchanges in the far-flung areas of Hazara division was not an easy task as there was no proper transport available to shift equipment to the hilly areas. The PTCL technical staff is at present working on 17 small digital exchanges.

General manager HTR, Irshad Khan, said that the 17 exchanges will be computerized soon, and ‘voice message’ facility will also be provided to the subscriber. Fault management system is also being updated and computerized.

He said in the next financial year they will be in a position to increase the number of connections to 77,000 from 54,000.—PPI