While the State Governments including Odisha are demanding to upgrade mobile towers to 4G level in all the Maoist-affected districts, the Union Government, agreeing to it, has said that Bharat Net has already covered 3,000 gram panchayats in Odisha, where such service is ready.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is in constant touch with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is keeping a close watch on the developments on the expansion of telecom and internet services in the Red corridors of the country.
The Union Cabinet Secretary recently took a review of the lWE scenario, where it came up that Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar are asking for 4G upgradation of the mobile towers in the Maoist affected districts.
Bharat Net-I, which is a massive programme for net connectivity, has already laid over 10,000km of optical fibre cable (OFC) in Odisha.
Under this national connectivity programme, 3,600 gram panchayats have already been covered and internet service there.
At least 2,335 mobile towers have been installed in 10 lWE-affected States in Bharat Net-I.
Under Bharat Net-II 4,072 mobile towers have been programmed involving cost of Rs7,330 crore in four eastern region States.
Odisha will get 483 mobile towers, while Bihar 412 and West Bengal will receive 207.
Odisha, therefore, is getting more mobile towers among the States and Bharat Net-II is implemented by State PSU-OPTCl, said sources.
Odisha has not only asked for more mobile towers, it has urged the Union Government to ask BSNl to use latest technology for Phase-II
towers as there is problem of bandwidth.
The State Government has pointed out that there is poor mobile connectivity in Maoist affected districts and these towers are to be made 4G complaint as has been done in Chhattisgarh.
As 4G facility is not available, banking transactions are being seriously affected in these far flung areas.
The State Government has pointed out that though the Union Government is harping on expansion of banking services in the Red corridors, installation of ATM and setting up of bank branch progress is tardy.
During last three years, only 59 ATMs have been installed in Maoist affected districts of Odisha and hardly 28 bank branches were set up in these areas.
Where as in Jharkhand, during these three years, 657 ATMs and 124 bank branches were opened, pointed out a senior official.
This marked variation is needed to be taken care of, said a senior official of the State Government.