USOF supported scheme to provide mobile services in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism

No: ----- Dated: Aug, 20 2014

USOF supported scheme to provide mobile services in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for providing mobile services at 2199 locations affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The establishment of mobile services would augment public communication facilities in backward regions and also provide a platform for mobile services including m-commerce, mobile based information dissemination and easy access to governance and policing.

The project would be executed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). BSNL has already installed towers at 363 locations. The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) would fund the capital expenditure and operative expenditure net of revenue for five years. The project implementation cost through the open tendering process is approximately Rs.3568 crore against the revised cost estimate of approximately Rs.3216 crore.