Lok Sabha Question No. 183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-02
Subject: Telecommunication facilities
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 183 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  FEBRUARY, 2022

## TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITIES

## †183.   SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether  tele-communication  facilities  are  not  available  in  the  backward  and  remote villages of Gujarat particularly in Bharuch district;

- (b) if so, the details thereof and the number of such villages in the State and reasons therefor; and
- (c) the action being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) & (b) As  per  data  provided  by  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  and  field  units  of Department  of  Telecommunications  as  on  December  2020,  it  is  estimated  that  out  of  17843 inhabited villages  in  the  state  of  Gujarat,  as  per  Census-2011,  512  villages  don't  have  mobile telecommunication connectivity which includes 11 inhabited census villages of Bharuch district. The  remaining  villages  of  the  country  are  covered  by  the  Government  and  Telecom  Service Providers  (TSPs)  in  a  phased  manner.  The  District  wise  details  of  villages  which  don't  have mobile connectivity for the State of Gujarat is given in Annexure-I.

(c) Government  has  taken  various  initiatives  under  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF) to improve mobile telecommunication connectivity in backward and remote areas of the country.  Under  USOF  Scheme  for  Provisioning  of  mobile  connectivity  in  354  uncovered villages, 70 villages in the State of Gujarat have been included.

Annexure referred to in reply of para (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 183 to be answered on 02 nd  February 2022 raised by Hon'ble Member of Parliament regarding 'Telecommunication Facilities'

| District -Wise Details of Villages of Gujarat without Telecommunication connectivity   | District -Wise Details of Villages of Gujarat without Telecommunication connectivity   | District -Wise Details of Villages of Gujarat without Telecommunication connectivity   | District -Wise Details of Villages of Gujarat without Telecommunication connectivity   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                | District Name*                                                                         | No of inhabited villages as per Census 2011                                            | No. of Villages which do not have Mobile Connectivity as per 2020 data                 |
| 1                                                                                      | Ahmadabad                                                                              | 506                                                                                    | 6                                                                                      |
| 2                                                                                      | Amreli                                                                                 | 614                                                                                    | 6                                                                                      |
| 3                                                                                      | Anand                                                                                  | 347                                                                                    | 0                                                                                      |
| 4                                                                                      | Banas Kantha                                                                           | 1233                                                                                   | 25                                                                                     |
| 5                                                                                      | Bharuch                                                                                | 647                                                                                    | 11                                                                                     |
| 6                                                                                      | Bhavnagar                                                                              | 783                                                                                    | 8                                                                                      |
| 7                                                                                      | Dohad                                                                                  | 691                                                                                    | 8                                                                                      |
| 8                                                                                      | Gandhinagar                                                                            | 252                                                                                    | 0                                                                                      |
| 9                                                                                      | Jamnagar                                                                               | 697                                                                                    | 22                                                                                     |
| 10                                                                                     | Junagadh                                                                               | 901                                                                                    | 35                                                                                     |
| 11                                                                                     | Kachchh                                                                                | 877                                                                                    | 83                                                                                     |
| 12                                                                                     | Kheda                                                                                  | 615                                                                                    | 0                                                                                      |
| 13                                                                                     | Mahesana                                                                               | 597                                                                                    | 0                                                                                      |
| 14                                                                                     | Narmada                                                                                | 558                                                                                    | 67                                                                                     |
| 15                                                                                     | Navsari                                                                                | 372                                                                                    | 2                                                                                      |
| 16                                                                                     | Panch Mahals                                                                           | 1198                                                                                   | 7                                                                                      |
| 17                                                                                     | Patan                                                                                  | 517                                                                                    | 6                                                                                      |
| 18                                                                                     | Porbandar                                                                              | 179                                                                                    | 10                                                                                     |
| 19                                                                                     | Rajkot                                                                                 | 833                                                                                    | 2                                                                                      |
| 20                                                                                     | Sabar Kantha                                                                           | 1364                                                                                   | 6                                                                                      |
| 21                                                                                     | Surat                                                                                  | 690                                                                                    | 5                                                                                      |
| 22                                                                                     | Surendranagar                                                                          | 647                                                                                    | 11                                                                                     |
| 23                                                                                     | Tapi                                                                                   | 451                                                                                    | 28                                                                                     |
| 24                                                                                     | The Dangs                                                                              | 308                                                                                    | 98                                                                                     |
| 25                                                                                     | Vadodara                                                                               | 1533                                                                                   | 40                                                                                     |
| 26                                                                                     | Valsad                                                                                 | 433                                                                                    | 26                                                                                     |
|                                                                                        | Total                                                                                  | 17843                                                                                  | 512                                                                                    |

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