Lok Sabha Question No. 969 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-02
Subject: Mobile Connectivity
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: GOPAL CHINAYYA SHETTY, LAXMAN GILUWA, RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 969

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  MARCH,  2016

## MOBILE CONNECTIVITY

†969.  SHRI GOPAL SHETTY: SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA: SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to ensure mobile telecommunication service in backward and tribal areas of the country particularly in the State of Maharashtra and Jharkhand;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the time by which this service is likely to be provided particularly in each village in backward and tribal area of the country including said States; and
- (d) the estimated funds to be spent by the Government to start this service?

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## ANSWER (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a)  to  (d)  The  Government  has  proposed/planned  various  schemes  with  financial support from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to ensure mobile telecommunication  service  in  backward  and  tribal  areas  of  the  county  including  the State of Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Details of such schemes are as below:
- (i) 2199  mobile  towers  are  being  set  up  in  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE) affected States with a total estimated cost of Rs.3567.58 crore. 452 mobile towers  out  of  proposed  782  mobile  towers  in  Jharkhand  State  and  50 mobile towers out of proposed 60 mobile towers in Maharashtra State are radiating as on 15.02.2016.
- (ii) On  10.09.2014,  the  Government  approved  a  proposal  to  implement  a Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North-Eastern Region (NER).    The  Project  envisages  to  provide  mobile  coverage  to  8621 identified uncovered villages by installation of about 6673 mobile towers, installation  of  321  mobile  tower  sites  along  National  Highways  and strengthening of transmission network in the NER.  The estimated cost of implementation is Rs. 5336.18 crore.  The Project would be funded from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
- (iii) It is estimated that there are about 55,669 villages in the country including 4792 villages in Maharashtra and 5949 villages in Jharkhand that do not have  mobile  coverage.  Mobile  coverage  to  these  uncovered  villages  is likely to be provided in a phased manner, subject to availability of financial resources. Details of the uncovered villages is enclosed as annexure.

-2-

## State-wise list of Uncovered Villages

| Sr.No.   | Name of the State/UT   | Total number of inhabited villages   |   No. of Uncovered Villages |
|----------|------------------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh         | 16335                                |                        3812 |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh      | 5258                                 |                        2886 |
| 3.       | Assam                  | 25372                                |                        2885 |
| 4.       | Bihar                  | 39073                                |                        2534 |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh           | 19567                                |                        4041 |
| 6.       | Goa                    | 320                                  |                          65 |
| 7.       | Gujarat                | 17843                                |                        1275 |
| 8.       | Haryana                | 6642                                 |                           2 |
| 9.       | Himachal Pradesh       | 17882                                |                        2416 |
| 10.      | Jammu & Kashmir        | 6337                                 |                         460 |
| 11.      | Jharkhand              | 29492                                |                        5949 |
| 12.      | Karnataka              | 27397                                |                           0 |
| 13.      | Kerala                 | 1017                                 |                           0 |
| 14.      | Madhya Pradesh         | 51929                                |                        5926 |
| 15.      | Maharashtra            | 40959                                |                        4792 |
| 16.      | Manipur                | 2515                                 |                         610 |
| 17.      | Meghalaya              | 6459                                 |                        2389 |
| 18.      | Mizoram                | 704                                  |                         258 |
| 19.      | Nagaland               | 1400                                 |                         137 |
| 20.      | Odisha                 | 47675                                |                       10398 |
| 21.      | Punjab                 | 12168                                |                          91 |
| 22.      | Rajasthan              | 43264                                |                         770 |
| 23.      | Sikkim                 | 425                                  |                          23 |
| 24.      | Tamil Nadu             | 15049                                |                         113 |
| 25.      | Telangana              | 10347                                |                        1009 |
| 26.      | Tripura                | 863                                  |                           2 |
| 27.      | Uttar Pradesh          | 97814                                |                         266 |
| 28.      | Uttarakhand            | 15745                                |                        1876 |
| 29.      | West Bengal            | 37469                                |                         487 |
| 30.      | Andaman & Nicobar      | 684                                  |                         190 |
| 31.      | Puducherry             |                                      |                           0 |
| 32.      | Dadra & Nagar Haveli   |                                      |                           5 |
| 33.      | Daman & Diu            |                                      |                           1 |
| 34.      | Lakshadweep            |                                      |                           1 |
|          | TOTAL                  | 597608                               |                       55669 |

*********