In a major push to bridge the digital divide across Odisha, the State Government has directed district administrations to expedite the allotment of Government land for the installation of 707 new 4G mobile towers in remote and underserved regions. The towers will be set up under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)-funded 4G Saturation Project being implemented by BSNL. The Electronics and Information Technology Department has asked Collectors of 24 districts to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and facilitate the advance possession of approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of Government land at each identified site. The move is aimed at ensuring the early installation and commissioning of telecom infrastructure in areas that continue to face poor or no mobile connectivity. In a letter to district collectors, Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev emphasized the urgency of the project, stating that timely land allocation is critical for the successful implementation of the Centre-sponsored initiative. He also noted that NOCs have already been issued for 294 locations in some districts, helping accelerate work on those sites. The latest push follows a communication from Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. In his letter, Scindia highlighted the importance of expanding telecom services to remote and unconnected villages, where private operators often find network expansion commercially unviable. He acknowledged Odisha’s cooperation in facilitating telecom projects, which has already resulted in the commissioning of 3,602 telecom towers across the state, while work is underway on another 683 towers. The Union Minister further informed that 894 new tower sites have been sanctioned under the 4G Saturation Scheme in Odisha. However, land allotment remains pending for 707 of these locations, prompting the Centre to seek the state government’s intervention for faster implementation. The proposed tower sites are spread across districts including Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Sambalpur and several others. Many of these areas are tribal-dominated, hilly and geographically challenging, where access to reliable mobile and internet services remains limited. Post navigation President Murmu to grace Odisha Govt’s 2 Years in Office Celebrations Errors in Textbooks: SCERT Director apologises, instructs Teachers to Correct
