Sasaram: The government is expanding 4G mobile connectivity in uncovered and tribal-dominated villages of Bihar’s Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency, with 99 of 149 planned mobile towers already on air in Kaimur and Rohtas districts, according to data shared in the Lok Sabha on August 13.
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), has approved mobile connectivity projects for identified uncovered villages.
4G Connectivity Progress in Sasaram
The projects cover Kaimur and Rohtas, which together form the Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency.
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- Kaimur: 75 towers planned; 71 on air, covering 122 of 126 planned villages.
- Rohtas: 24 towers planned; 22 on air, covering 27 of 29 planned villages.
- Overall: 99 of the 149 planned towers are operational.
12 Villages Still Without 4G
As of June 30, 2026, 12 villages in the constituency remained uncovered by 4G services — eight in Kaimur and four in Rohtas.
In Kaimur, the uncovered villages include areas in Chainpur, Rampur and Adhaura blocks. In Rohtas, the remaining uncovered villages are located in Chenari, Sheosagar and Sasaram blocks.
The government said the connectivity status is based on the Registrar General of India’s village list.
Sasaram Has 4G and 5G Infrastructure
The constituency had 4,377 4G BTSs and 1,110 5G BTSs as of June 30, 2026, according to the data provided in Parliament.
Across the two districts, the number of villages covered by mobile networks was also high:
- Kaimur: 1,685 of 1,692 villages had mobile network coverage.
- Rohtas: 2,069 of 2,072 villages had mobile network coverage.
₹99.43 Crore Disbursed to Bihar Under DAPST
The government also shared state-wise data on funds disbursed under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) from the Digital Bharat Nidhi during 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Bihar received ₹99.43 crore during the five-year period. The total disbursement across the listed states and the DoT headquarters stood at ₹2,183.10 crore.
PM-JANMAN to Expand Tribal Telecom Connectivity
The government said it is working towards saturation of telecom connectivity in underserved tribal areas. Under PM-JANMAN, the Department of Telecommunications is implementing telecom connectivity through the 4G Saturation Scheme to connect uncovered villages and habitations, including those inhabited by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
The progress is monitored by DoT and DBN in coordination with telecom service providers, State Governments and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Monitoring is carried out through reporting mechanisms and PM Gati Shakti and PM-JANMAN dashboards, with field-level gaps taken up with implementing agencies for resolution.
