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4,072 mobile towers to pop up in Naxal-hit states

The 7,000-crore project aims at improving connectivity in conflict zones

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The Centre is all set to install 4072 mobile towers in Naxal- affected areas after the Union cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal of the Home Ministry on Tuesday.

The project will be cost more than Rs 7000 crore, government officials said.

In the first phase, which was completed about two years ago, 2,329 mobile towers were installed at a cost of Rs 3,167 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The additional towers are aimed at improving mobile connectivity in areas that are cut off with little means of communication in the conflict-hit areas. Of the 4,072 mobile towers, 1,054 will be installed in Jharkhand and 1,028 in Chhattisgarh.

The expenses are expected to be borne by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the Department of Telecommunications.

The objective of the USOF is to provide widespread and non-discriminatory access to quality Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services at affordable prices to people in the rural and remote areas.

Besides, the fund is aimed at providing effective and powerful linkage to the hinterland thereby mainstreaming the population of rural and remote parts of the country. As of now, out of the 90 districts affected by the Maoists problem, 30 were termed as worst-hit. Recently Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba said that 44 districts in the country are no longer Left Wing Extremism and the armed movement is now confined only to 30 worst-hit districts.

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