24 May,2018 07:31 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies
Pic for representation/AFP
To empower security personnel and people staying in the country's Left Wing Extremist (LWE) areas, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of an additional 4,072 mobile towers at an investment of Rs7,330 crore, IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday.
"This is the second phase of the project. These 4,072 towers will be set up in 96 districts of 10 states. In the first phase, we have given only 2G connection, which was only for calling. But in the second phase we will give 4G through which people can call and also explore data," Prasad said while briefing reporters about the Cabinet decisions. In the first phase, which was completed about two years ago, 2,329 mobile towers were installed at a cost of Rs3,167 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The additional towers will strengthen the telecom network resulting in increased mobile penetration in the Left Wing Extremist areas facing security challenges, he said. The operational expenses for running the towers will be part of the project cost. Of the 4,072 mobile towers, 1,054 will be installed in Jharkhand, 1,028 in Chhattisgarh, 483 in Odisha, 429 in AP, 412 in Bihar, 207 in Bengal, 179 in UP, 136 in Maharashtra, 118 in Telangana and 26 in Madhya Pradesh.
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No. of districts worst hit by the Maoist problem
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No. of districts that are no longer under the influence of Maoists
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