901 out of the 2,595 identified PVTG habitations have already received mobile coverage, says Scindia -

According to Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, under a survey conducted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), a total of 2,595 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) villages across India have been identified for enhanced telecom connectivity, with 1,716 new towers set to be installed in these areas. These efforts are aimed at improving access to mobile services in rural, remote, and hilly regions, with particular focus on PVTGs, tribal habitations, and even smaller settlements like tolas and majiras.

The survey, conducted following a request by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in July 2024, identified these villages as areas in dire need of mobile tower installations. This will cover 15 states and include various schemes to ensure widespread coverage.

Scindia highlighted the swift progress made so far, revealing that out of the 2,595 identified villages, 901 villages have already been covered with mobile for which than 519 of the 1,716 towers have been set up within a record time of just six months, marking a 35 per cent completion rate in the project.

Elaborating the special projects for strengthening mobile connectivity in PVTG habitations and rural areas in Jharkhand, Scindia informed that a total of 1,987 towers have been identified for 2,471 Habitations. He reaffirmed the Union Government’s commitment to the holistic development of tribal and left-wing affected areas, emphasising that initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Janman Yojana are designed to improve connectivity and overall development in rural tribal-dominated areas.

Further, he reiterated that the government remains committed to ensuring the holistic development of tribal and remote areas, with telecommunication infrastructure being a key part of this larger developmental vision.

In addition, Scindia also tabled a reply regarding Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) funds. The specific schemes providing mobile connectivity to the uncovered villages of rural, remote, hilly and left-wing extremism (LWE) affected areas of the country include: