Bhubaneswar: Under the phase II scheme for the provision of ‘cellular services in the left wing extremism (LWE) of the affected area’, the work has been given for the installation of 2,542 cell towers including 483 towers in Odisha.
The contract has been given for the installation of 483 towers, the official source said.
Under the phase-i of the LWE scheme, 256 Mobile Towers from 261 approved have been installed in Odisha.
Five towers cannot be installed due to Maois activities and forest clearing permits, said State Minister for Communication Devusinh Chauhan at Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Tele density in the Odisha service area in rural and urban areas on September 30 is 61.87 percent and 144.14 percent respectively.
MP BJD Sasmit Patra through a special mention in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday increases demand to increase developmental activities to control left-wing extremism in Odisha.
He said that around 2000 more cellphone base stations must be set to provide cellular connectivity to the South and West Odisha area.
The minister said the Bharatnet project was gradually implemented to provide broadband connectivity to all grams of Panchayats (GPS) in this country.
In Odisha, phase-II of this project is implemented in the State LED model through the state government where, 2485 GPS has made ready services from 2946 GPS planned, on November 30.
Adding phase-i and phase- II, a total of 6,313 GPS has made services ready at Odisha.
According to the Indian Telecommunication Supervisory Authority (Trai), a total of 2.11 Broadband Crore customers are in Odisha on October 21.
Similarly, the state has 50.15 internet customers per 100 population.
This percentage is 40.61 in rural areas and 91.98 in Odisha urban areas.
Under the Wi-Fi Prime Minister’s access network framework (PM-Wani), the Wi-Fi access point is being arranged by small entrepreneurs depending on market demand for the aim of getting a return on their investment.
On December 8, around 1,150 access points were established in Odisha, the official source said.