Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw claimed the center approved Rs. 5,600 crore for telecom services in Odisha this fiscal year and said on Thursday 5G services will be rolled out in the eastern state ahead of next year’s Republic Day celebrations. In an apparent reference to the ruling BJD in the state, the minister also said: “Now no one can claim that the center is neglecting Odisha’s telecommunications sector”.
“The Modi government has sanctioned a total of Rs.5,600 crore for telecom services in Odisha in FY2022-23 5G The services will be rolled out in the state ahead of Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2023,” he said.
Vaishnaw, the Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, said a survey was recently conducted in all Odisha villages where cellphone towers are not available.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed officials to ensure quality 4G and 5G services in all villages,” the minister said.
Vaishnaw announced in October that 5G services would be available in at least four Odisha cities by March 2023, and 80 percent of the state’s territory would have access to the upgraded network by the end of next year.
PM Modi launched 5G services on Oct. 1, promising to bring ultra-fast internet to mobile phones.
Vaishnaw spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of Bhubaneswar Railway Station.
Union coal minister Pralhad Joshi, who also participated in the scheme, claimed that Odisha had benefited significantly from the central government’s mine auctioning policy.
“The government revenue from the mining sector has reached Rs. 50,000 from about Rs. 5,000 in 2014-15,” he stressed.
He also claimed that states “were unable to obtain adequate mining revenues sooner” due to a first-come, first-served policy.
Under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), Odisha receives Rs. 15,000 crore a year, Joshi said, adding that the fund can be used for mining area development and welfare of the poor and tribal.
The state was also allotted around Rs. 10,000 crore in the budget for rail infrastructure development in 2022-23, Vaishnaw said.
“The Modi government has increased the allocation for the railways in Odisha to 10,000 rupees a year from just 800 million rupees during the UPA regime,” he said, claiming that “critics have no reason to allege central negligence State Telecommunications and Railroad Sectors”.
The minister also said that “railway projects move forward when the state government cooperates and allocates needed land”.
Earlier this week, in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Naveen Patnaik, the state approved a proposal to allocate 2,000 square feet of land to 1,687 lots BSNL for 30 years at Rs. 1 per site per year with no premium and ancillary fees.
It will help bring 4G connectivity to 1,792 villages, Odisha chief secretary SC Mohapatra had said.
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