Secretary for the Information Technology Department, Piyush Singla, said on Friday that the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued work orders for the construction of 775 new mobile tower sites to extend 4G connectivity to border, hilly, and far-flung areas of the Union Territory.
The project is being implemented under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the Centre, with BSNL as the executing agency, he said.
Singla made these remarks while briefing the 10th State Broadband Committee meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo here on Thursday, an official spokesperson said.
He said the meeting was convened to review the status of key digital infrastructure initiatives, including the expansion of the 4G network, the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP), 5G readiness, Call Before You Dig (CBuD), and other allied telecom projects being implemented across J&K.
The secretary also said that land for the construction of these projects has already been allotted at all 775 new locations, and power supply has been extended to most sites with the support of the Power Development Department (JKPDD).
The Chief Secretary asked the implementing agencies to further pace up installation and commissioning works, particularly for the 269 sites targeted for completion by March 31, and to fast-track approvals for the remaining locations.
The meeting also focused on reviewing the status of border village saturation, covering around 1,421 border villages, and stressed the importance of ensuring seamless connectivity in strategically important areas to bridge the digital divide and enhance service delivery, the spokesperson said.
Dulloo also assessed the rollout of the Samridh Gram Panchayat Pilot Project, which seeks to digitally empower rural institutions through FTTH connectivity, covering 2,234 schools and 1,138 primary health centres in rural areas.
He said digital connectivity is essential at the grassroots level for improving governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship in the UT.
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