Lok Sabha Question No. 1794 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Mobile and Internet Connectivity in Disaster Prone Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1794 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## MOBILE AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IN DISASTER PRONE AREAS

## 1794. SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY VEMIREDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has undertaken any study/survey regarding disaster-prone areas during the last five years;

(b) if so, the details regarding the list of schemes, initiatives and workings undertaken for the last five years;

(c) the  details  of  the  total  amount  of  funds  allocated,  released  and  utilised  for  establishment  of mobile/broadband connectivity during the last five years, State-wise;

(d) whether the Government has undertaken any specific training activities in rural areas within disaster prone zones during the last five years and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether  the  Government  has  considered  using  satellite-based  connectivity  such  as  Starlink  for boosting rural connectivity and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Separate study exclusively for disaster-prone areas has not  been conducted by the Ministry of Communications in the last five years. However, telecom infrastructure and service delivery during disaster are continuously monitored through field units, reports from TSPs, and coordination with State authorities. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are in place for telecom preparedness and response during disasters.

(c) An amount of Rs. 34,967.14 crore has been allocated, released and utilised for the establishment of mobile and broadband connectivity in rural and remote areas of the country during the last five years (202021  to  2024-25)  under  various  Digital  Bharat  Nidhi-DBN  schemes.  The  State-wise  details  are  given  in Annexure-I .

(d) No separate training exclusively for disaster-prone rural areas has been conducted by Ministry of Communications. However, preparedness is ensured through SOPs, advisories, review meetings, and disasterresponse mechanisms by TSPs.

(e) Under BharatNet project 5,034 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been made service ready over Satellite media. Further, under the Amended BharatNet Program, alternate technologies (radio/satellite) including Low Earth  Orbit/Medium  Earth  Orbit  (LEO/MEO)  satellite  communication  services,  when  matured  may  be considered for deployment based on the requirement and cost effectiveness in cases where the implementation of OFC may not be economical/feasible.

## Annexure-I

| State-wise details of funds allocated/ released/ utilized under various DBN Schemes during last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) for establishment of Mobile / broadband connectivity   | State-wise details of funds allocated/ released/ utilized under various DBN Schemes during last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) for establishment of Mobile / broadband connectivity   | State-wise details of funds allocated/ released/ utilized under various DBN Schemes during last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) for establishment of Mobile / broadband connectivity   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.                                                                                                                                                                                 | Nameof States/UTs                                                                                                                                                                      | Funds disbursed (Rs. in crores)                                                                                                                                                        |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                                      | Andaman &Nicobar                                                                                                                                                                       | 812.54                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                         | 2,403.98                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                                      | Assam                                                                                                                                                                                  | 555.55                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                                      | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                  | 1,007.43                                                                                                                                                                               |
| S                                                                                                                                                                                      | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                           | 2,566.36                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                                      | Gujarat (including Dadar &Nagar Haveli and Daman&Diu)                                                                                                                                  | 2,460.36                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                                      | Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                | 275.02                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                                      | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                       | 411.79                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 9                                                                                                                                                                                      | Jammu and Kashmir (including Ladakh)                                                                                                                                                   | 562.91                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 10                                                                                                                                                                                     | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                              | 1,612.30                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 11                                                                                                                                                                                     | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                              | 899.92                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 12                                                                                                                                                                                     | Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                 | 383.63                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                                                                                                     | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                                                            | 932.85                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 14                                                                                                                                                                                     | Maharashtra (including Goa)                                                                                                                                                            | 4,867.51                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 15                                                                                                                                                                                     | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                         | 1,886.57                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 16                                                                                                                                                                                     | NE-I (Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura)                                                                                                                                                     | 568.56                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 17                                                                                                                                                                                     | NE-II (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland)                                                                                                                                           | 1,202.31                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                                     | Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2,433.57                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 19                                                                                                                                                                                     | Puducherry                                                                                                                                                                             | 7.26                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 20                                                                                                                                                                                     | Punjab (including Chandigarh)                                                                                                                                                          | 773.59                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                                     | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                              | 1,757.82                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                                     | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                                             | 1,128.83                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 23                                                                                                                                                                                     | Telangana                                                                                                                                                                              | 2,023.88                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 24                                                                                                                                                                                     | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                          | 2,565.79                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 25                                                                                                                                                                                     | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                            | 395.47                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 26                                                                                                                                                                                     | West Bengal (including Sikkim)                                                                                                                                                         | 471.34                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 27                                                                                                                                                                                     | Total                                                                                                                                                                                  | 34,967.14                                                                                                                                                                              |

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