Lok Sabha Question No. 341 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-23
Subject: Rural Telephony
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: SAKUNTALA LAGURI, BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.341 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  DECEMBER, 2015

## RURAL TELEPHONY

## †*341. SHRIMATI SAKUNTALA LAGURI: SHRI BHEEMRAO B. PATIL:

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

- (a) the percentage of urban and rural households in India which do not have access to a phone as yet, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  expansion  of  telecom  services  in  rural,  backward,  tribal  and  hilly regions is slow as compared to urban areas and if so, the details thereof, State-wise and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has fixed any target to provide telephone facilities to every  household  especially  in  rural  and  inaccessible  areas  and  if  so,  the  measures taken for expansion of telecom services in low penetrated areas and States; and
- (d) the funds allocated for the purpose during the last three years and the current year, State and year-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

Contd……2/-

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK    SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.341  FOR  23 rd DECEMBER, 2015 REGARDING 'RURAL TELEPHONY'.

(a) & (b) The  Department  does  not  maintain  the  data  on  households'  access  to telephones,  but  tele-density  can  be  taken  as  a  good  indicator  of  penetration  of telephony in the country. The current level of rural and urban tele-density in the country is  48.79  and  152.36  respectively  (as  on  30.09.2015).  The  State-wise  details  are  at Annexure I.

5,41,939 villages out of total 5,97,608 villages in the country are already covered with mobile services, leaving only 55,669 villages, i.e., 9.31%, without coverage. (Statewise  details  of  uncovered  villages  are Annexure-II ).  Since  the  demand  of  telecom services is price sensitive, the level of tele-density is also determined by the purchasing ability of the consumers. The increase in rural tele-density has gathered momentum in recent times but the wide gap between rural and urban tele-density can be explained by the difference in purchasing power of rural and urban consumers.

- (c) Although  no  year  to  year  target  has  been  fixed  for  the  expansion  of  telecom services,  the  National  Telecom  Policy  has  set  the  objectives  of  increasing  rural  teledensity  to  70  percent  by  2017  and  100  percent  by  2020.  The  Department  has  taken several  measures  for  expansion  and  improvement  of  telecommunication  services  in rural and remote areas as given below:
- (i) 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 providing 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).
- (ii) 2199 mobile towers are being set up in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States with a total estimated cost of Rs.3567.58 crore. 1134 mobile towers are radiating as on 30.11.2015.
- (iii) Telecom  Commission  has  given  'in  principle'  approval  on  07.11.2014  for Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  including  provision  of  mobile connectivity for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands with a total estimated investment of Rs. 221.05 crores.
- (iv) BharatNet / National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) is planned to connect all the  2,50,000  Gram  Panchayats  in  the  country  through  optical  fibre  utilizing existing  fibers  of  Public  Sector  Undertakings  (PSUs)  viz.  Bharat  Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), RailTel and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)  and  laying  incremental  fibre  wherever  necessary  for  providing broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats. As on 30.11.2015, 1,03,643 km  of  duct  and  74,994  km  of  optical  fibre  cable  covering  32,049  Gram Panchayats have been laid.
- (d) State-wise  details  of  funds  allocated  and  utilized  for  expansion  of  telecom services  under  various  schemes  implemented  by  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF) are enclosed as Annexure-III.

Service Area-wise growth in rural and urban teledensity (in %) for the last three years and current year

Annexture - I (as on 30.09.2015)

| Sr. No.            | Name of the service area   | 31.03.2013   | 31.03.2013   | 31.03.2014   | 31.03.2014   | 31.03.2015   | 31.03.2015   | 30.09.2015   | 30.09.2015   | 30.09.2015   |
|--------------------|----------------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| Sr. No.            | Name of the service area   | Rural        | Urba n       | Rural        | Urba n       | Rura l       | Urba n       | Rura l       | Urba n       | Total        |
| 1 Andhra Telangana | Pradesh &                  | 41.83        | 169. 00      | 45.53        | 167. 60      | 49.0 4       | 174. 94      | 49.5 5       | 177.5 2      | 85.26        |
| 2 Assam            | 31.13                      |              | 130. 91      | 34.36        | 126. 27      | 39.1 8       | 132. 26      | 41.2 5       | 135.8 1      | 56.36        |
| 3                  | Bihar                      | 27.53        | 160. 29      | 29.41        | 150. 96      | 33.1 6       | 164. 26      | 35.0 3       | 173.1 6      | 54.07        |
| 4 Gujarat          | 53.12                      |              | 136. 39      | 57.44        | 137. 63      | 61.8 5       | 143. 01      | 62.1 4       | 141.6 7      | 95.34        |
| 5 Haryana          | 56.78                      |              | 113. 50      | 59.77        | 121. 40      | 59.6 2       | 124. 23      | 57.3 9       | 127.9 7      | 82.74        |
| 6 Himachal Pradesh | 74.50                      |              | 347. 60      | 77.07        | 326. 01      | 84.8 7       | 340. 71      | 90.0 2       | 359.7 9      | 121.4 6      |
| 7 Jammu & Kashmir  | 36.72                      |              | 116. 92      | 42.61        | 130. 70      | 55.8 5       | 132. 04      | 58.3 0       | 136.7 7      | 80.10        |
| 8 Karnataka        |                            | 43.00        | 170. 38      | 46.24        | 167. 19      | 49.0 5       | 174. 89      | 52.1 4       | 177.4 9      | 100.6 5      |
| 9                  | Kerala                     | 61.93        | 196. 12      | 64.34        | 189. 66      | 67.0 9       | 178. 73      | 60.9 7       | 211.9 6      | 99.24        |
| 10 Madhya          | Pradesh                    | 30.91        | 115. 09      | 33.67        | 116. 34      | 36.8 1       | 122. 85      | 37.5 3       | 126.6 8      | 61.90        |
| 11 Maharashtra&    | Goa                        | 52.43        | 113. 59      | 55.82        | 116. 26      | 60.2 4       | 117. 32      | 60.7 4       | 121.1 8      | 82.57        |
| 12 North East      |                            | 40.57        | 151. 51      | 42.68        | 153. 01      | 51.0 9       | 154. 91      | 51.7 5       | 157.7 7      | 78.32        |
| 13                 | Odisha                     | 38.72        | 164. 00      | 39.87        | 161. 16      | 44.4 6       | 172. 11      | 46.3 2       | 177.8 8      | 69.52        |
| 14 Punjab          |                            | 67.16        | 151. 97      | 71.96        | 154. 34      | 71.9 6       | 145. 39      | 70.4 2       | 148.8 8      | 104.6 3      |
|                    | Rajasthan                  | 44.63        | 153. 82      | 48.58        | 160. 01      | 53.5 5       | 153. 93      | 55.0 5       | 156.2 6      | 79.49        |
| 15 16 Tamil Nadu   |                            | 66.33        | 139. 93      | 74.02        | 138. 16      | 82.7 5       | 141. 81      | 80.9 2       | 139.6 1      | 115.7 6      |
| 17                 | Uttar Pradesh              | 33.34        | 137.         | 35.55        | 131.         | 38.8 8       | 133. 87      | 39.2 6       | 136.5 9      | 61.48        |
| 18                 | West Bengal                | 40.58        | 69 135.      | 41.71        | 52 135. 28   | 47.4 1       | 139. 77      | 49.6 2       | 150.3 4      | 64.12        |
|                    | All India                  | 41.0 5       | 72 146. 64   | 44.01        | 145. 46      | 48.0 4       | 149. 04      | 48.7 9       | 152.3 6      | 81.02        |

## 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    | TOTAL                  | 597608                               |                       55669 |

## Annexure-II

## Annexure-III

| Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   | Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   | Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   | Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   | Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   | Circle Wise / State Wise Statement of Funds allocated and utilized for expansion of Telecom Services for the last three years and current year for USOF Schemes (In Crore of Rupees)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Controller of Communications Accounts(CCA)/ Circle                                                                                                                                     | 2012-13                                                                                                                                                                                | 2013-14                                                                                                                                                                                | 2014-15                                                                                                                                                                                | 2015-16 (upto 31.10.15)                                                                                                                                                                | Total                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Andaman & Nicobar                                                                                                                                                                      | 0.08                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.08                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.04                                                                                                                                                                                   | 00.01                                                                                                                                                                                  | 0.19                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                         | 23.54                                                                                                                                                                                  | 11.35                                                                                                                                                                                  | 19.03                                                                                                                                                                                  | 1.09                                                                                                                                                                                   | 54.99                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Assam                                                                                                                                                                                  | 1.05                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.06                                                                                                                                                                                   | 32.35                                                                                                                                                                                  | 0.32                                                                                                                                                                                   | 34.77                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                  | 6.61                                                                                                                                                                                   | 8.16                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.05                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.08                                                                                                                                                                                   | 20.91                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                           | 10.16                                                                                                                                                                                  | 9.22                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.56                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.37                                                                                                                                                                                   | 22.30                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Dot HQ                                                                                                                                                                                 | 405                                                                                                                                                                                    | 2014                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1948.37                                                                                                                                                                                | 783.57                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5150.94                                                                                                                                                                                |
| Gujarat                                                                                                                                                                                | 1.51                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.20                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.71                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                | 2.23                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.39                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.17                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.57                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.37                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                       | 4.15                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.10                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.70                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.19                                                                                                                                                                                   | 7.14                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                                                                                         | 3.32                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.98                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.27                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.47                                                                                                                                                                                   | 6.03                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                              | 3.72                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.35                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.52                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.09                                                                                                                                                                                   | 7.69                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                              | 14.69                                                                                                                                                                                  | 14.82                                                                                                                                                                                  | 8.34                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 37.85                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                 | 3.63                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.82                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.75                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.32                                                                                                                                                                                   | 12.52                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                            | 6.23                                                                                                                                                                                   | 11.45                                                                                                                                                                                  | 20.39                                                                                                                                                                                  | 13.15                                                                                                                                                                                  | 51.22                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                         | 19.37                                                                                                                                                                                  | 19.17                                                                                                                                                                                  | 13.49                                                                                                                                                                                  | 11.48                                                                                                                                                                                  | 63.51                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| North East-I                                                                                                                                                                           | 13.68                                                                                                                                                                                  | 7.44                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.30                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.45                                                                                                                                                                                   | 28.87                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| North East-II                                                                                                                                                                          | 11.02                                                                                                                                                                                  | 2.79                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.23                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.07                                                                                                                                                                                   | 16.10                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                 | 16.57                                                                                                                                                                                  | 14.46                                                                                                                                                                                  | 7.70                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 38.73                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Punjab                                                                                                                                                                                 | 6.02                                                                                                                                                                                   | 6.97                                                                                                                                                                                   | 8.48                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.78                                                                                                                                                                                   | 25.25                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                              | 17.98                                                                                                                                                                                  | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 17.98                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                                             | 16.42                                                                                                                                                                                  | 14.17                                                                                                                                                                                  | 0.05                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 30.65                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh(East)                                                                                                                                                                    | 20.15                                                                                                                                                                                  | 2.93                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.25                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.59                                                                                                                                                                                   | 27.91                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh (West)                                                                                                                                                                   | 8.95                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.39                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.95                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.16                                                                                                                                                                                   | 15.45                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                            | 5.07                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.70                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.48                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.19                                                                                                                                                                                   | 11.45                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| West Bengal                                                                                                                                                                            | 3.85                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.46                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.52                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                   | 12.83                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Total                                                                                                                                                                                  | 625.00                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2163.45                                                                                                                                                                                | 2086.98                                                                                                                                                                                | 826.95                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5702.36                                                                                                                                                                                |