This is an unstarred question (No. 1861) for the Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 11th, 2026, regarding mobile towers in rural, remote, and tribal areas of Tamil Nadu. Members of Parliament Shri Selvam G, Shri Navaskani K, and Shri C N Annadurai are asking the Minister of Communications whether the government has commissioned mobile towers in these areas through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), if habitations continue to suffer from poor connectivity, if independent assessments have been conducted, and what corrective steps are being taken.
The Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development (Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar) answers that the government has commissioned mobile towers through DBN, with details available on the DBN website (https://usof.gov.in/en/home). Out of 248 tribal villages, 246 have mobile coverage. A third-party assessment is conducted after commissioning to verify specifications. The government collaborates with central/state agencies for timely project completion.
Key Entities Referenced
Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN): A scheme used to commission mobile towers in rural, remote, and tribal areas, including Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu: The state where the mobile tower commissioning under the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme is being assessed.
Ministry of Communications: The primary ministry responsible for the commissioning of mobile towers and answering questions about the scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1861
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11TH FEBRUARY, 2026
MOBILE TOWERS IN RURAL, REMOTE AND TRIBAL AREAS OF TAMIL NADU
1861. SHRI SELVAM G:
SHRI NAVASKANI K:
SHRI C N ANNADURAI:
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has commissioned mobile towers in rural, remote and tribal areas
of Tamil Nadu through Digital Bharat Nidhi and if so, the district-wise and block-wise details thereof
during the last five years;
(b) whether several habitations in tribal and hilly regions of Tamil Nadu continue to suffer from
poor or no mobile connectivity despite allocation of funds under the said Nidhi and if so, the reasons
therefor;
(c) whether any independent assessment has been conducted to evaluate the actual improvement
in voice and data services atier commissioning of such towers and if so, the findings thereof; and
(d) the corrective steps taken to ensure timely completion, optimal utilization of infrastructure
and reliable mobile services for tribal communities in the State?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)
(a) Government has commissioned mobile towers in rural, remote and tribal areas of country
through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) including in Tamil Nadu. Number of commissioned mobile
towers during last five years in Tamil Nadu is available on DBN website
(https://usof.gov.in/en/home).
(b) Out of 248 tribal villages in Tamil Nadu, 246 villages are having mobile coverage.
(c) After commissioning of towers through DBN, a third-party assessment is carried out to verify
the conformity with the specifications.
(d) For timely completion of mobile projects, the Government takes up with various central/state
agencies on regular basis.
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