Over 1,200 Odisha villages still without mobile network: Minister in Assembly

The gloomy picture of mobile connectivity in Odisha came to light on Monday, with the State government revealing that mobile network services have not yet reached at least 1,237 villages across the State.
This information was shared today in the Legislative Assembly by Information Technology Minister Mukesh Mahaling.

Also Read: 238 villages in Odisha’s Koraput, Rayagada have no mobile connectivity: Centre

According to the Minister, efforts are underway to ensure that mobile network coverage reaches all the affected villages by June this year. The expansion of connectivity is being carried out under the Central government’s Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) scheme.

Out of the 4,225 mobile towers planned under the DBN project, 3,281 towers have already become operational, while the remaining 944 towers are expected to be made functional by June this year.

The Minister also informed that in the Koraput district alone, 76 towers are being installed to provide mobile network services to 88 villages that currently lack connectivity.

The Government’s plan aims to improve digital access in remote and rural areas, enabling better communication, governance services, and internet connectivity for residents.

Worth mentioning, previously, the Central government had informed Lok Sabha in a written reply that as many as 238 villages in Odisha’s tribal-dominated Koraput and Rayagada districts continue to remain without mobile network connectivity.

The disclosure had come in response to a question raised by Odisha Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka, who flagged severe difficulties faced by residents of the two districts in accessing mobile data services.

Ulaka had sought details on block-wise status of mobile towers approved under Universal Service Obligation Fund, now known as DBN, and asked when 100 per cent 4G connectivity and 5G services would be extended to the region.