TNI Bureau: Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha about the support provided to telecom operators in Odisha for expanding mobile connectivity in rural and remote areas.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Minister stated that the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has the mandate to support universal service by promoting access and delivery of telecommunication service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas of the country.
As on February 28, 2026, a total of 34,780 mobile towers have been planned under 12 DBN-funded mobile tower projects to provide connectivity to 46,331 villages in underserved rural and remote areas nationwide. Out of these, 5,182 mobile towers have been planned for the State of Odisha to cover 7,157 villages.
The Union Minister further informed that the plan includes 4,470 mobile towers in 13 districts of Odisha whose areas are notified under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
He also stated that as on February 28, 2026, funds amounting to ₹2,229.35 crore have been disbursed from the Digital Bharat Nidhi to telecom operators for providing mobile services in rural and remote areas in Odisha. This includes ₹1,859.95 crore for the districts notified under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
