TNI Bureau: Despite the Centre’s Digital India initiative, 1,091 of Odisha’s 51,176 revenue villages still do not have mobile network connectivity, according to information shared in Parliament. The data was provided by Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a reply to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj.
Among the districts, Rayagada has the highest number of villages without mobile connectivity (129), followed by Kandhamal (112), Malkangiri (103), Kalahandi (92), Koraput (85) and Ganjam (80). The figures highlight the continuing digital connectivity gap in Odisha’s remote and tribal regions.
The Centre said efforts are underway to provide mobile connectivity to uncovered villages under the Digital Bharat Nidhi, including the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas Project, Aspirational District Scheme and the 4G Saturation Project. Mobile coverage is also being expanded with the support of telecom service providers. However, the government has not announced any timeline for achieving 100 per cent mobile network coverage in Odisha.
The lack of mobile connectivity continues to affect education, healthcare, government services, business and other digital services in many rural areas. It also makes it difficult for people to contact ambulance, police and fire services during emergencies. In several villages, residents still have to travel to higher ground or nearby hills to access a mobile signal.
Students are among the worst affected, as poor connectivity limits access to online classes, digital study materials, competitive examination applications and skill development programmes. Villagers also face difficulties in using telemedicine, e-Hospital services, UPI-based digital payments and online government services such as pensions, scholarships, Aadhaar updates and agricultural assistance.
