Central nod to mobile connectivity provision in LWE areas including Odisha

New Delhi: Union Cabinet today approved the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) supported scheme to provide mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas of 10 States including Odisha.

The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal to provide mobile services at 4072 tower locations identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in inhabited uncovered areas affected by LWE of 96 districts in 10 States for Phase-ll project, which will cost Rs 7,330 crore.

The mobile connectivity will be provided at 483 tower locations in 18 districts in Odisha. The other states where the project will be executed included Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The mobile network will be used by the security personnel deployed in LWE affected areas. The project will also provide the mobile services to help the residents in unconnected inhabited villages which would improve the economic activities in the region. It will give impetus to the e-Governance activities in the backward and LWE affected area with the availability of digital mobile connectivity.

Notably, the LWE phase-l project for providing the mobile services using 2G technology in LWE areas with a total sanctioned cost of Rs, 4080.78 crore is on completion. Total 2335 sites are radiating out of total 2355 as on date.

The MHA in consultation with the concerned states has identified 4072 tower locations for the communication need of the security personnel deployed in 96 districts of 10 states and provided to DoT on Oct 27, 2017.

Technology proposed in the Phase-ll project has been upgraded according to the requirement of Stakeholders. Presently, the 2G and 4G technology is being deployed in this project for providing the mobile connectivity.