Sh Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Communications, in a written reply to the parliament, informs that under a survey conducted by the Department of Telecommunications, a total of 2,595 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) villages across India have been identified for enhanced telecom connectivity, with 1,716 new towers set to be installed in these areas.  

Out of the 2,595 villages, 901 have already been covered with towers, marking a milestone of installing 519 of the 1,716 towers within a record time of just six months. This marks 35% completion of the project to cover these many villages with network connectivity. The initiative aims to improve access to mobile services in rural, remote, and hilly regions, focusing on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), tribal habitations, and even smaller settlements like tolas and majors.  

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Network for Tribal Villages: Most Connected State 

Of the 742 towers planned for the PVTG villages, Andhra Pradesh has the most installed capacity. Around 341 have already been installed to facilitate around 620 habitations. 

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Elaborating on the special projects to strengthen mobile connectivity in PVTG habitations and rural areas in Jharkhand, the Union Minister informed that 1,987 towers have been identified for 2471 Habitations.