While Odisha has 10 Maoist-hit districts, accounting for 33 per cent of geographical area of the State, these backward forest clad areas are crying for qualitative and reliable tele connectivity. Take the case of Malkangiri district, which is termed as a “Hot Bed of Maoists.”
Poor connectivity is a major problem there. In order to empower the people of the cut-off area in Malkangiri, the State Government has decided to provide ‘smartphones’ free of cost. However, absence of basic voice connectivity is coming on their way to use the mobile phones. Similarly, as per NITI Aayog, there are 10 backward districts in Odisha, which are notified as Aspirational Districts.
These districts too are facing poor mobile connectivity.And the coastal districts of the State are affected by frequent natural calamities like cyclone, flood and storms.
This is where a reliable telecom system plays a vital role for governance as well as disaster mitigation. But here also scores of villages don't have qualitative telecommunication services.As per Department of Telecom (DOT) data there are 6,627 uncovered villages in State even for the basic voice connectivity. The private telecom operators do not take interest to invest in the rural areas of the State as there is no viable business case for them. Therefore, it is imperative on the Union Government to take the lead in building a reliable eco-system for the delivery of digital services up to the Gram Panchayat (GP) level, the State Government feels. In view of this, funding from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is sought to establish IPMPLS network, which will cost Rs 3,500 crore, said official sources.
Similarly, providing broadband connectivity to all the villages of Odisha will cost Rs 1,650 crore. And establishing mobile towers to cover the 6,627 uncovered villages will cost Rs 500 crore.Thus, it is estimated that allocation of at least Rs 5,650 crore should be made for telecom sector in Odisha for the year 2021-22 Union Budget. Meanwhile, the Government of Odisha has sent a detailed proposal to the Union Government in this regard so that the poor connectivity problem will come to an end. Time and again this issue has been raised by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with the Prime Minister, the Minister Home Affairs and the Minister Telecommunications.
This time Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari has also brought the issue to the notice of Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and urged her for allocating funds in the forthcoming Union Budget. Poor connectivity is also coming on the way of digital payment and financial inclusion.