Lok Sabha Question No. 806 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-07
Subject: Mobile Towers in LWE affected Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: BAIJAYANT "JAY" PANDA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 806 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018

## MOBILE TOWERS IN LWE AFFECTED AREAS

806. SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number  of  mobile towers already installed in areas affected by Left  Wing Extremism(LWE), State/UT-wise;
- (b) the number of mobile towers proposed to be installed in such areas, State/ UT-wise; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to expedite the installation of mobile towers in LWE affected  areas  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) The number of mobile towers already installed under Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase I scheme in areas affected by LWE is given below:

| S. No.   | State          |   No. of Locations identified by MHA |   Installed Towers |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh |                                   62 |                 56 |
| 2.       | Bihar          |                                  250 |                250 |
| 3.       | Chhattisgarh   |                                  532 |                519 |
| 4.       | Jharkhand      |                                  816 |                816 |
| 5.       | Maharashtra    |                                   65 |                 65 |
| 6.       | Madhya Pradesh |                                   22 |                 22 |
| 7.       | Odisha         |                                  261 |                256 |
| 8.       | Telangana      |                                  173 |                171 |
| 9.       | Uttar Pradesh  |                                   78 |                 78 |
| 10.      | West Bengal    |                                   96 |                 96 |
| Total    | Total          |                                 2355 |               2329 |

Contd……2/-

(b) State wise list of number of mobile towers proposed to be installed in such areas under LWE Phase-II is as below:

|    | State          |   No. of Districts |   No. of Mobile Towers |
|----|----------------|--------------------|------------------------|
| 1  | Andhra Pradesh |                  8 |                    429 |
| 2  | Bihar          |                  8 |                    412 |
| 3  | Chhattisgarh   |                 16 |                   1028 |
| 4  | Jharkhand      |                 21 |                   1054 |
| 5  | Madhya Pradesh |                  1 |                     26 |
| 6  | Maharashtra    |                  2 |                    136 |
| 7  | Odisha         |                 18 |                    483 |
| 8  | Telengana      |                 14 |                    118 |
| 9  | Uttar Pradesh  |                  3 |                    179 |
| 10 | West Bengal    |                  5 |                    207 |
|    | Total          |                 96 |                   4072 |

(c) After successful implementation of LWE  Phase-I mobile tower project, Department  has  received  an  additional  requirement  from  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA)  for  provisioning  of  4,072  mobile  towers  in  LWE  affected  areas.  Telecom Commission,  in  its  meeting  dated  21.12.2017,  has  recommended  the  proposal  of installing  4072  mobile  towers  at  locations  identified  by  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA) in LWE affected areas with a viability gap funding of Rs. 7,330 crore from the Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF).  The  matter  is  now  being  processed  for seeking Cabinet approval.

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