No mobile network coverage in state’s over 2600 villages | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: A couple lost their lives after being caught in a crossfire between Maoists and security personnel in Kandhamal district‘s Kotagarh area in July 2015. They had gone to a hill near Pangalpadar village in search of a mobile network to speak to their son working in Kerala.
Like this village, 2,603 villages in Odisha do not have mobile network coverage. The govt is taking steps to provide network coverage to these villages, IT minister Mukesh Mahaling told the assembly here on Monday.
The state has 51,176 villages in 30 districts. Tribal areas and villages located in hilly terrains are facing mobile network issues. The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has the highest number of 375 villages with no network coverage, followed by Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Kalahandi districts.
The Odisha govt, with the help of the Centre, will provide mobile network coverage to uncovered areas through the Centre’s Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) project. “There is a govt proposal to install 4,210 mobile towers in the uncovered areas. So far, 2,572 mobile towers have been installed. The remaining towers will be installed by June this year,” said Mahaling.
He also told the assembly that 10 panchayats in the state do not have broadband service. These panchayats are Pedapadar and Gadebandha in Kalahandi district, Satabhaya, Padanipa, and Batighara in Kendrapada districts, Kujamendhi in Nayagarh district, Talagaon in Boudh district, Rajpur in Balasore district, Berhampur in Puri district, and Bodua in Jajpur district.
Overall tele-density in Odisha is 77.57 per cent against India’s 85.43 per cent. The state has more than three crore telephone subscribers. Poor mobile network and no network coverage areas in tribal-dominated districts in the state have created problems for students who are preparing for different examinations and continuing their studies through online classes. They trek on nearby hills or climb big trees to access the network for this purpose.
Ananga Deb Singh, a villager of Mardipanka in Kandhamal district, said the mobile network issue has become an obstacle in accessing online classes and other necessary work. “This problem should be solved immediately for the benefit of students and people who apply for different schemes of the govt online,” he added.
Like this village, 2,603 villages in Odisha do not have mobile network coverage. The govt is taking steps to provide network coverage to these villages, IT minister Mukesh Mahaling told the assembly here on Monday.
The state has 51,176 villages in 30 districts. Tribal areas and villages located in hilly terrains are facing mobile network issues. The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has the highest number of 375 villages with no network coverage, followed by Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Kalahandi districts.
The Odisha govt, with the help of the Centre, will provide mobile network coverage to uncovered areas through the Centre’s Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) project. “There is a govt proposal to install 4,210 mobile towers in the uncovered areas. So far, 2,572 mobile towers have been installed. The remaining towers will be installed by June this year,” said Mahaling.
He also told the assembly that 10 panchayats in the state do not have broadband service. These panchayats are Pedapadar and Gadebandha in Kalahandi district, Satabhaya, Padanipa, and Batighara in Kendrapada districts, Kujamendhi in Nayagarh district, Talagaon in Boudh district, Rajpur in Balasore district, Berhampur in Puri district, and Bodua in Jajpur district.
Overall tele-density in Odisha is 77.57 per cent against India’s 85.43 per cent. The state has more than three crore telephone subscribers. Poor mobile network and no network coverage areas in tribal-dominated districts in the state have created problems for students who are preparing for different examinations and continuing their studies through online classes. They trek on nearby hills or climb big trees to access the network for this purpose.
Ananga Deb Singh, a villager of Mardipanka in Kandhamal district, said the mobile network issue has become an obstacle in accessing online classes and other necessary work. “This problem should be solved immediately for the benefit of students and people who apply for different schemes of the govt online,” he added.
