Parliament Question: Installation of Mobile Towers in Tribal-dominated Don Region

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4361 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TH MARCH, 2026 INSTALLATION OF MOBILE TOWERS IN TRIBAL-DOMINATED DON REGION †4361. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that about 15,000 to 20,000 people reside in two panchayats of the Don region inside the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) area in the Lok Sabha Constituency of the Member; (b) whether the Government proposes to install adequate mobile towers to provide mobile network connectivity to the people of the tribal-dominated Don region residing inside the Valmiki Tiger Reserve; and (c) whether the Government proposes to provide 5G network facility to the consumers in the areas where mobile towers have already been installed, so as to facilitate online education and learning through platforms like YouTube for the children in this remote and inaccessible area? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR) (a) to (c) The Government has approved various projects through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), to provide 4G mobile connectivity in uncovered villages across the country. Under DBN funded projects, 8 towers have been approved in West Champaran district of Bihar, of which 7 towers have been made on-air. As per the census 2011, two Panchayats, namely Naurangia Don and Bankatwa Karmahia, have populations of 11,355 and 11,495, respectively. A total of 23 census villages fall under these two Panchayats. Out of these 23 villages, 19 villages are covered with 4G mobile services and 2 villages are uninhabited. 5G mobile services are rolled out by the telecom service providers themselves on techno- commercial consideration. ***** 1