Lok Sabha Question No. 5485 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-05
Subject: Post Offices without Mobile Network
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhepatil, Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5485 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  APRIL, 2023

## POST OFFICES WITHOUT MOBILE NETWORK

5485.   DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV:

DR. SUJAY RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL:

SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL:

PROF. RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that there are Post Offices, without a mobile network or internet connectivity especially in areas with difficult terrains and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of such Post Offices in the country, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure that network connectivity reaches such Post Offices; and
- (d) whether the Government has set any deadline for ensuring network connectivity in such areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Yes, Sir. Government is aware of the fact that there are Post Offices, especially in areas with difficult terrains, without a mobile network or internet connectivity. At present, there are 879 Branch Post Offices which do not have mobile network or internet connectivity. State wise details of such Post Offices in the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra are at Annexure-I .
- (c) & (d) Department of Posts has taken up the matter of providing connectivity to Post offices not having mobile network or internet connectivity with Department of Telecommunications.

As per cabinet approval dated 27.07.2022, under 4G saturation project total 24,680 uncovered villages  across  the  country  are  proposed  to  be  covered  with  4  G  services  by  Department  of Telecommunications. Provision of 20% extra villages has also been kept. The project also includes upgradation to 4G service of existing 2G/3G sites at 6,279 villages. The project is to be completed by 09.12.2023.

## Annexure-I

Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5485 to be answered on 05.04.2023.

| S. No.   | Name of Postal Circle   | State / UT Covered                                                |   No. of Branch Post Offices without Mobile Network or internet connectivity |
|----------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh          | Andhra Pradesh                                                    |                                                                           76 |
| 2        | Assam                   | Assam                                                             |                                                                           14 |
| 3        | Bihar                   | Bihar                                                             |                                                                           12 |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh            | Chhattisgarh                                                      |                                                                           95 |
| 5        | Delhi                   | Delhi                                                             |                                                                            9 |
| 6        | Gujarat                 | Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu                    |                                                                            8 |
| 7        | Haryana                 | Haryana                                                           |                                                                            1 |
| 8        | Himachal Pradesh        | Himachal Pradesh                                                  |                                                                           17 |
| 9        | Jammu &Kashmir          | Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh                                         |                                                                          115 |
| 10       | Jharkhand               | Jharkhand                                                         |                                                                           29 |
| 11       | Karnataka               | Karnataka                                                         |                                                                           18 |
| 12       | Kerala                  | Kerala, Lakshadweep                                               |                                                                            1 |
| 13       | Maharashtra             | Maharashtra, Goa                                                  |                                                                          101 |
| 14       | North-East              | Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland |                                                                          152 |
| 15       | Odisha                  | Odisha                                                            |                                                                           49 |
| 16       | Rajasthan               | Rajasthan                                                         |                                                                            2 |
| 17       | Tamil Nadu              | Tamil Nadu, Puducherry                                            |                                                                           30 |
| 18       | Telangana               | Telangana                                                         |                                                                            1 |
| 19       | Uttar Pradesh           | Uttar Pradesh                                                     |                                                                            9 |
| 20       | Uttarakhand             | Uttarakhand                                                       |                                                                           34 |
| 21       | West Bengal             | West Bengal, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands                  |                                                                          106 |
| Total    | Total                   | Total                                                             |                                                                          879 |

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