Rajya Sabha BJD member Dr Amar Patnaik has requested Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad to take early steps for improving tele-density in Odisha.
In a letter, Patnaik urged the Centre to give focus on increasing tele-connectivity in Odisha where tele-density is much lower than the national average.
“As per TRAI data released in January this year, the all-India average of tele-density was 91.82 per cent where as it was only 77.22 per cent in Odisha. What is distressing is that the latest TRAI report released two days ago reveals that the tele-density in the State has further gone down to 75.65 per cent. The quality of internet services is such that people in remote areas climb up trees to get connected,” the MP wrote.
He mentioned that nearly 10,000 villages have no access to mobile networks and most of these villages are located in LWE-affected districts. Nearly 50 per cent of villages in Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts have no such access. As many as 1,652 villages in Kandhamal, 1,020 in Koraput, 601 in Malkangiri and 1,498 villages in Rayagada district have a very weak mobile network, informed Patnaik.
He suggested Prasad to make an effective execution plan for the State to make it reach national average in tele-density at the earliest.
