Parliament Question: Network related Problems in Bahraich

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 150 ANSWERED ON 29TH JULY, 2026 NETWORK RELATED PROBLEMS IN BAHRAICH †*150. DR. ANAND KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Girijapuri Post Office of Bahraich had to be shifted to another place due to network related problems;

(b) whether the local citizens are not able to avail the benefits of mobile services properly due to lack of mobile network coverage and telecom towers in the entire area, as a result of which thousands of villagers in the border and forest areas have to travel long distances to access postal and banking services to avail pension and other essential services;

(c) the steps being taken to restore smooth postal services in Girijapuri area by finding permanent resolution to the network and technical problems; and

(d) whether the Government has formulated any special action plan to strengthen telecom towers and network infrastructure in the border and forest areas of Bahraich to ensure uninterrupted mobile, postal and banking services and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

1STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS

(a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 150 FOR 29TH JULY, 2026 REGARDING “NETWORK RELATED PROBLEMS IN BAHRAICH” ASKED BY DR.

ANAND KUMAR.

(a) Girijapuri Colony SO has been relocated, at a distance of around 8 kms, as Matehi Chafaria SO in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, from 17.05.2024, covering the same geographical area. It was relocated due to network connectivity issues arising out of the area being surrounded by forests on all sides.

(b) Girijapuri locality, under Block & Tehsil-Mihinpurwa, District-Bahraich, is presently covered with mobile services of BSNL. Out of 1390 villages in Bahraich, 1389 villages are having mobile coverage and 1383 villages are having 4G connectivity.

In Bahraich District, there are 25 Departmental Post Offices and 268 Branch Post Offices to provide uninterrupted postal, banking, insurance and citizen centric services to the residents of the area. Girijapuri Colony area, under Bahraich District, is being served by Saryu Nahar Colony Branch Post Office established on 17.05.2024 through relocation.

(c) The Department has deployed mobile device along with SIM based network connectivity in Saryu Nahar Colony BO established within the same locality to provide uninterrupted postal services to the residents of Girijapuri Colony area.

(d) For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity and mobile services to remote and rural villages and islands in the country, including Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, that currently lack coverage, a number of steps and projects have been taken up with funding from Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Under BharatNet programme, broadband connectivity is provisioned in a phased manner to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country, including Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. Further, the Government has approved the Amended Bharat Net Programme (ABP) to upgrade the existing network created under Phase-I and Phase-II of BharatNet and to create incremental network for connectivity to the remaining GPs, and to the remaining non-GP villages on demand basis with minimum demand for five home fibre internet connections, operation and maintenance and provision of 1.5 crore home fibre internet connections. In Bahraich district, as on 30.06.2026, 454 GPs has been connected under BharatNet.

Further, under Government funded mobile connectivity projects, as on 30.06.2026, 9 mobile towers have been commissioned covering 12 villages/locations in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. ************* 2