Plans to expand mobile telephony in Naxal-affected states are facing hurdles from an unexpected quarter -- another government project which aims to provide Internet connectivity in 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.
Aiming to improve telecom network in 10 Naxal-affected states, the Home Ministry wants to install 2,700 new mobile towers in these areas and a proposal was submitted to the Department of Telecommunications.
The proposed 2,700 mobile towers will be installed in addition to the 2,199 towers recently put up in some of the worst Maoist-hit regions.
However, the proposal is moving nowhere as the DoT is more keen on implementing Bharat Net project under which it plans to connect 2.5 lakh gram panchayats with hotspots and access to digital services at low tariff, official sources said.
Both the projects are funded under the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) of the DoT set up in 2002 for providing telecom services in rural areas at subsided rates.
The DoT and USOF authorities seem to be more keen to implement the Bharat Net project than installation of 2,700 new towers in Naxal-hit states, sources said.