Bhubaneswar: Odisha has achieved mobile and internet connectivity in 96.57% of its villages, but 1,754 villages across 13 Gram Panchayats (GPs) still remain without access, Electronics & Information Technology Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling said on Monday.
In a written reply to a question by senior Congress leader and Pottangi MLA Rama Chandra Kadam, the Minister stated that out of the state’s 51,176 villages, mobile and internet services are available in 49,422 villages. Broadband connectivity is available in 6,785 out of 6,798 Gram Panchayats.
Under the BharatNet project, 13 GPs have been connected using Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology to provide mobile and internet services. The remaining villages without connectivity fall within these 13 GPs and are planned to be brought online through VSAT deployment.
Minister Mahaling said the unconnected villages are being included under the Digital Bharat initiative, which aims to provide mobile and internet services to all remaining areas, bridging the digital divide in the state.
Here is the list of the 13 GPs:
