Shillong, Mar 16: Information Technology & Communication Minister Hamletson Dohling on Wednesday informed the Assembly that over 1,613 villages in Meghalaya remain without mobile connectivity. To bring mobile connectivity to these villages, he said the state government has urged the Centre to cover them under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

“We had already taken up with the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India on January 6, with regards to the uncovered villages. 1,613 villages have been sent to the DoT (for consideration),” Minister in-charge Information Technology & Communication Hamletson Dohling informed the Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a query raised by Mawsynram legislator Himalaya Shangpliang, the minister said not all remote areas of the state are provided with mobile network facilities by setting up of mobile towers.

Stating that telecom is a central subject, Dohling said the state government is actively pursuing with Department of Telecommunications, to facilitate and speed-up the process of covering the uncovered inhabited villages of the state.

Also, all telecom towers set up in Meghalaya are either financed directly by the Telecom companies themselves or by the Government of India through the USOF, he said.

Since Telecom companies set up telecom towers in areas where it is commercially viable for them, the Central government funds setting up of telecom infrastructure in remote areas which are not commercially viable through USOF, he said.

He further assured that the state government is pursuing with the government of India to cover the Kenbah and Kenmynsaw village areas with mobile network under USOF.