Lok Sabha Question No. 3853 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Mobile Penetration in LWE Affected Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAJESH RANJAN  (PAPPU  YADAV)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3853 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH   AUGUST, 2017

## MOBILE PENETRATION IN LWE AFFECTED AREAS

## 3853. SHRI RAJESH RANJAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is implementing the Bharat Net Project at the cost of installing 27000 mobile towers in naxal affected districts of the country including the State of Maharashtra as directed by the Ministry of Home Affairs;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  said  project  will  impact  the  mobile  penetration  in  the  left-wing extremism  affected  areas  and  pose  security  challenges  on  account  of  lack  of communication network; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the mobile penetration in the said areas and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (d) No Madam. However, the Government on 20.08.2014 had approved a project for  the  installation  of  2199  mobile  towers  in  10  Left Wing  Extremism  (LWE) affected  States  i.e.  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Maharashtra, Madhya  Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and  West Bengal. The estimated project implementation cost was Rs. 3567.58 crore, funded from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). BSNL had been nominated to execute the project. As on 31.07.2017, 2187 mobile towers out of 2199 are operational. The remaining mobile towers have not been set up due to security reasons. The project has been completed.  The  state-wise  breakup  of  the  locations  and  Tele-density  data  of  LWE affected states are at Annexure.

## Annexure

Locations of Towers in LWE Affected States

| S. No.   | State          | No. of Total Locations identified by MHA   |   No. of Mobile Towers Installed |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh | 54                                         |                               54 |
| 2.       | Bihar          | 184                                        |                              184 |
| 3.       | Chhattisgarh   | 497                                        |                              490 |
| 4.       | Jharkhand      | 782                                        |                              782 |
| 5.       | Maharashtra    | 60                                         |                               60 |
| 6.       | Madhya Pradesh | 22                                         |                               22 |
| 7.       | Odisha         | 253                                        |                              248 |
| 8.       | Telangana      | 173                                        |                              173 |
| 9.       | Uttar Pradesh  | 78                                         |                               78 |
| 10.      | West Bengal    | 96                                         |                               96 |
| Total    | Total          | 2,199                                      |                             2187 |

Tele-density of LWE Affected States

|   S. No. | Service Area                            |   Overall Tele-density (in percent) |   Mobile Tele-density (in percent) |
|----------|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana)    |                               97.54 |                              95.73 |
|        2 | Bihar (including Jharkhand)             |                               61.69 |                              61.48 |
|        3 | Madhya Pradesh (including Chhattisgarh) |                               67.6  |                              66.64 |
|        4 | Maharashtra                             |                               96.2  |                              94.34 |
|        5 | Odisha                                  |                               81.46 |                              80.8  |
|        6 | Uttar Pradesh                           |                               74.83 |                              74.45 |
|        7 | West Bengal                             |                               74.25 |                              73.84 |

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