GUWAHATI: As a part of the Centre’s bid to boost connectivity in border areas, 254 4G mobile network towers have been launched in the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The towers will connect around 70,000 people with the fast internet, and among them are many villages that have remained unconnected since independence.
These towers will provide connectivity to 336 villages, mostly in border areas. The government has already approved the installation of altogether 2,605 4G mobile towers which will cater to 3,721 villages in this frontier state.
After launching the towers on Saturday, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is aiming at connecting the far-flung villages.
He said the outmigration of border villagers was a major cause of concern for the government. He said the lack of basic amenities was a reason behind outmigration but now, these were being taken care of.
Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said the state government’s endeavour has been to achieve all-inclusive and equitable development across all regions and tribes.
Villagers living near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are considered the first line of defence and the Centre is trying to prevent their outmigration through the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).
Recently, Union home minister Amit Shah launched the VVP at Kibithoo, the first village in India, in Arunachal. This connectivity and infrastructure development-oriented programme is expected to improve the quality of life of people living in villages near the LAC and strengthen border security.
The VVP would be implemented in Arunachal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Altogether 2,967 villages will be covered under it.
“PM Modi has given us a task to bring all villages into internet connectivity by March 2024. So that they can avail all digital facilities in the country,” said telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The government has approved Rs 36,000 crore to set up around 25,000 new towers in the country. The telecom minister also said that the rollout of 5G in India is faster than in any part of the world, and the world is taking note of it.
“The Arunachal government and the Centre will take care of the well-being of the villagers. We will fulfil their basic needs. We will take the banks there, help the people open bank accounts, provide electricity, LPG, drinking water, employment and build toilets. These villages will be connected digitally and physically with the rest of Arunachal and the country,” Shah had said.
(With inputs from Rakesh Kumar)