Mobile connectivity still a distant dream for 25,000 villages
New Delhi: When the government is making an extra push to the consumer-oriented services through digital mode, the 100 per cent availability of mobile connectivity is still a distant dream in as many as 25,067 villages in the country.
At the time when India is aiming for faster and more reliable communication through 5G networks and auctioning of spectrums has already taking place, your mobile phone will become a 'dead' in these 25,067 villages.
According to Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, it is estimated that out of 5,97,618 inhabited villages in the country, as per Census-2011, 5,72,551 villages have been provided with mobile and internet connectivity.
In the 90 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), 10,900 villages have no mobile and internet connectivity as out of the total number of 96,794 inhabited villages (as per Census2011), 85,894 villages are having mobile and internet services, Prasad informed the House in reply to a question asked by Shiv Sena MPs Rahul Ramesh Shewale and Hemant Sriram Patil.
Among the 38 states/UTs, the highest 6,099 villages in Odisha has no mobile connectivity as out of total 47,677 villages in the state, villagers of 41,578 inhabited villages are having mobile and internet services.
As per experts, when the government is aiming to make consumer-centric services through digital means, then just imagine the problems being faced by the people living in these "no-mobile connectivity" villages.
After Odisha, there are 2,612 villages in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh where there is no mobile connectivity as of the total 51,929 villages in the state, 49,317 inhabited villages have mobile and internet connectivity, while in Maharashtra, there are 2,328 villages where you won't be able to use your mobile for either voice calling or internet access as in the Shiva Sena-ruled state, out of 40,959 inhabited villages, 38,631villages have mobile connectivity.
As per the latest data provided by the ministry, all the villages in the states/UTs like Punjab, Kerala, Haryana, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have 100 per cent mobile connectivity.
In Bihar, which is the home state of Telecom Minister, there are 245 villages where there is no mobile and internet service as out of total 39,073 villages, 38,828 villages have mobile connectivity, while Gujarat, which is the home state of PM Narendra Modi, 512 villages are still without mobile connectivity. Gujarat has 17,843 villages and out of which 17,331 villages have mobile and internet services.
