Lok Sabha Question No. 240 (STARRED), answered on 2019-12-04
Subject: Mobile Towers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 240 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH   DECEMBER, 2019

## MOBILE TOWERS

## *240.   SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  approved  a  scheme to  install  mobile  towers  at  2199  locations identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 9 States which are affected by Left Wing Extremism and if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the present status of such towers;
- (b) the  cost  of  the  project  along  with  the  financial  assistance  provided  by  the  Government  to BSNL for installation of such towers since inception of the scheme;
- (c) whether the Government/BSNL is lagging behind in installation of mobile towers on the said locations from the target set in the scheme, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *240  FOR 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2019  ON 'MOBILE TOWERS'.

(a) The  Cabinet  on  20.08.2014  approved  a  proposal  for  providing  mobile  services  in  2199 locations,  identified  by  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA),  in  the  areas  affected  by  Left  Wing Extremism  (LWE)  in  10  states  (9  States  before  formation  of  Telangana  state).  The  work  was implemented by BSNL on nomination basis.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs identified 156 additional locations for provision of mobile services in LWE affected areas, which were approved in June 2016.

The State-wise status of LWE  Phase- I is given in Annexure-I:

(b) The Project Cost of the LWE Phase -I is Rs. 4214.30 crore and as on 31.10.2019, Rs. 2830.20 Crore has been disbursed.

(c) & (d) The installation and commissioning of 2199 tower sites has been completed in March 2017 and the additional 156 sites on 01.11.2018. The project was delayed due to remote and tough terrain,  delay  in  providing  some  of  the  sites  by  the  State  Governments,  changes  in  sites,  etc.  In addition, the work for some locations could not be taken up as per the advice by State Government due to security reasons and Naxal activities. Now 2343 sites are providing services.

Annexure  referred  to  in  Part(a)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  *240  for  answer  on 04.12.2019.

## Status of LWE-I

| S. No.   | State          | No. of Total Locations identified by MHA   |   Additional 156 Sites | Total sites Under LWE Phase I   | Present Status(Radiat ing)   |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh | 54                                         |                      8 | 62                              | 62                           |
| 2.       | Bihar          | 184                                        |                     66 | 250                             | 250                          |
| 3.       | Chhattisgarh   | 497                                        |                     35 | 532                             | 525                          |
| 4.       | Jharkhand      | 782                                        |                     34 | 816                             | 816                          |
| 5.       | Maharashtra    | 60                                         |                      5 | 65                              | 65                           |
| 6.       | Madhya Pradesh | 22                                         |                      0 | 22                              | 22                           |
| 7.       | Odisha         | 253                                        |                      8 | 261                             | 256                          |
| 8.       | Telangana      | 173                                        |                      0 | 173                             | 173                          |
| 9.       | Uttar Pradesh  | 78                                         |                      0 | 78                              | 78                           |
| 10.      | West Bengal    | 96                                         |                      0 | 96                              | 96                           |
|          | Total          | 2,199                                      |                    156 | 2355*                           | 2343*                        |

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