Bhubaneswar: Despite sustained efforts by the Centre to expand digital infrastructure in Odisha’s tribal belt, 399 villages across four districts—Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada—are still without 4G mobile connectivity, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Responding to a question by Koraput MP and senior Congress leader Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, the minister said the Government has been implementing multiple mobile connectivity projects funded under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) to bridge the digital divide in the state’s Scheduled Areas.
The minister stated that the initiative focuses on extending 4G services to uncovered villages and remote locations, particularly those falling under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. The projects are aimed at improving digital access to communication, education, healthcare, banking and various government services in tribal and inaccessible regions.
According to the data placed before Parliament, the four districts together comprise 6,634 villages, of which 399 are yet to receive 4G mobile coverage. To improve connectivity, the Centre has approved the installation of 1,701 mobile towers in these districts. As of June 30, 2026, a total of 1,257 towers had been commissioned.
Koraput district, which has 2,047 villages, still has 116 villages without 4G connectivity. Of the 510 mobile towers sanctioned for the district, 395 have become operational.
In Malkangiri, 116 of the district’s 1,036 villages continue to remain outside the 4G network. The Government has approved 334 mobile towers, of which 225 have already been commissioned.
Nabarangpur has recorded the highest level of connectivity among the four districts. Only 11 of its 880 villages are yet to receive 4G services. Out of the 64 approved mobile towers, 46 have been commissioned.
Rayagada, which has the highest number of villages among the four districts, continues to face the largest connectivity gap. Of its villages, 156 are still without 4G coverage. Against 793 sanctioned towers, 591 have become operational.
The minister informed the House that the implementation of the projects has faced several challenges, including the absence of road connectivity to remote locations, delays in land allotment, pending forest and wildlife clearances, and difficulties in obtaining Right of Way (RoW) permissions.
Despite these hurdles, the Department of Telecommunications is continuing work to complete the remaining infrastructure and ensure universal 4G coverage across Odisha’s Scheduled Areas, the minister added.
