Lok Sabha Question No. 1402 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Public Telephone Booths
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Arun Kumar Sagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1402 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## PUBLIC TELEPHONE BOOTHS

## †1402.  SHRI ARUN KUMAR SAGAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Public Telephone Booths that are working as on date, State-wise especially in backward and rural areas;
- (b) whether it is a fact that these are not functioning smoothly;
- (c) whether the Public Telephone Booths have been shut down during the last three years;
- (d) if so, the details including reason therefor, State-wise; and
- (e) the  steps  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  smooth  and  satisfactory functioning of Public Telephone Booths located at railway stations/other public places?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) & (b) State/  UT  wise number of Public Call  Offices (PCOs) is attached as Annexure-I . These PCOs have been working satisfactorily.
- (c) to (e) Yes Sir, PCOs are being shut down over the period of time. It has been estimated that around 44,922 PCOs have been shut down in last three years. The decline of PCOs is attributed to the  widespread  adoption  of  mobile  technology,  increased  tele  density,  and  the  availability  of affordable tariffs for mobile services. These factors have collectively reduced the demand for PCO services.

Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1402 to be answered on 04.12.2024.

## State/ UT wise count of PCOs:

| Sl. No.   | Name of State &Union Territory      | PCOs as on 30.06.2024   | PCOs as on 30.06.2024   |
|-----------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of State &Union Territory      | RURAL                   | URBAN                   |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                      | 309                     | 611                     |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh                   | 0                       | 0                       |
| 3         | Assam                               | 0                       | 302                     |
| 4         | Bihar                               | 0                       | 29                      |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh                        | 0                       | 9                       |
| 6         | Goa                                 | 16                      | 59                      |
| 7         | Gujarat                             | 26                      | 1174                    |
| 8         | Haryana                             | 9                       | 28                      |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh                    | 0                       | 5                       |
| 10        | Jharkhand                           | 0                       | 0                       |
| 11        | Karnataka                           | 63                      | 369                     |
| 12        | Kerala                              | 557                     | 1529                    |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh                      | 0                       | 397                     |
| 14        | Maharashtra                         | 42                      | 4314                    |
| 15        | Manipur                             | 0                       | 13                      |
| 16        | Meghalaya                           | 1                       | 9                       |
| 17        | Mizoram                             | 0                       | 0                       |
| 18        | Nagaland                            | 0                       | 0                       |
| 19        | Odisha                              | 0                       | 0                       |
| 20        | Punjab                              | 54                      | 324                     |
| 21        | Rajasthan                           | 0                       | 40                      |
| 22        | Sikkim                              | 0                       | 0                       |
| 23        | Tamil Nadu                          | 305                     | 2809                    |
| 24        | Telangana                           | 37                      | 1115                    |
| 25        | Tripura                             | 36                      | 76                      |
| 26        | Uttar Pradesh                       | 48                      | 492                     |
| 27        | Uttarakhand                         | 8                       | 249                     |
| 28        | West Bengal                         | 0                       | 392                     |
| 29        | Andaman& Nicobar Islands            | 0                       | 11                      |
| 30        | Chandigarh                          | 0                       | 125                     |
| 31        | Dadra& Nagar Haweli and Daman & Diu | 0                       | 0                       |
| 32        | Delhi                               | 0                       | 891                     |
| 33        | Jammu &Kashmir                      | 8                       | 64                      |
| 34        | Ladakh                              | 0                       | 0                       |
| 35        | Lakshadweep                         | 0                       | 3                       |
| 36        | Puducherry                          | 0                       | 0                       |
|           | Total                               | 1519                    | 15439                   |

*****