Question : STD FACILITY IN VILLAGE PUBLIC TELEPHONES

(a) Whether the demands for providing STD facilities in the rural areas of the country particularly in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are pending with the Government;

(b) if so, the details thereof as on date, state-wise; (

(c) the number of STD booths provided in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the last one year, district-wise;

(d) whether the Department of Telecommunications has decided to provide STD facility in all the Tehsil headquarters of rural and tribal areas of the country;

(e) if so, whether all the rural exchanges are being upgraded for meeting this requirement;

(f) whether the internal committee set up by the Department has recommended induction of wireless in the local loop to increase the telecom penetration in rural areas and satellite terminals to reach out to remote areas; and (g) if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS

(SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR)

(a) & (b): There are a number of demands for provision of STD facility in the rural areas. Out of 20382 rural exchanges in the country STD facility has been provided to 16636 rural exchanges. In Bihar, Andhra Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh 14, 86 & 552 exchanges repectively are yet to be provided with STD facility. The State-wise details of number of exchanges in the rural areas which are yet to be provided with STD facility are available in Annexure-I.

(c ) : The number of STD Booths provided in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, uttar Pradesh and Bihar are available in Annexure -II.

(d) & (e) : Yes sir, The remaining exchanges are planned to be provided with STD facility progressively by March, 2002 subject to availability of resources.

(f) & (g) : Yes Sir, the internal committee headed by MOS ( C ) has recommended wireless in Local Loop (WLL) for rural areas and satellite terminals for remote and far-flung areas.

Recommendations of the committee have been accepted by the government and action for procurement of WLL systems and Satellite based terminals has been initiated.

ANNEXURE - I
Statement in respect of Part (a), (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.2780 for 13th March, 2000 regarding STD facility in Village Public Telephones.

NUMBER OF TELEPHONE EXCHANGES PENDING STATE-WISE FOR PROVISION OF STD FACILITY IN RURAL AREAS AS ON 29.2.2000.

SL.NO.	STATES	NO. OF EXCHANGES
1.	Andhra Pradesh	86

2. Assam 0

3. Bihar 14

4. Gujarat 103

5. Haryana 253
6. Himachal Pradesh 54

7 Jammu & Kashmir 86 

8. Karnataka 10

9. Kerala 0
10. Maharashtra 1184
11. Goa 6
12. Madhya Pradesh 640
13. Arunachal Pradesh 33
14. Manipur 7
15. Meghalaya 4
16. Mizoram 17
17. Nagaland 12
18. Tripura 5
19. Orissa 1
20. Punjab 67
21. Rajasthan 493
22. Tamil Nadu 0
23. Uttar Pradesh 552
24. West Bengal 28
25.	Sikkim 3
Total 3658 

NAME OF THE	STD BOOTHS	NAME OF THE	STD BOOTHS	DISTRICT	PROVIDED IN	DISTRICT	PROVIDED IN	RURAL AREAS	RURAL AREAS	DURING 1999-	DURING 1999-	2000 (AS ON	2000 (AS ON	29.2.2000)	29.2.2000) 
ANDHRA PRADESH	UTTAR PRADESH
1.	ADILABAD	50	11. BAREILLY	43 

2.	ANANTHAPUR	34	12. DEHRADUN 12

3.	CHITTOOR	146	13. ETAH 05

4.	CUDDAPAH	62	14. GHAZIABAD 09

5.	EAST GODAVARI	152	15. BULANDSHAHAR 118
6.	GUNTUR	260	16. G.B.NAGAR 19

7	HYDERABAD 0	17. MORADABAD 0

8.	RANGAREDDY	35	18. AMROHA 0

9.	KARIMNAGAR 45	19. MEERUT 139
10.	KHAMMAM 12	20. BAGPAT 52
11.	KRISHNA 115	21. MUZAFFARNAGAR 50
12.	KURNOOL 81	22. MATHURA 0
13.	MAHABUBNAGAR 67	23. NAINITAL 0
14.	MEDAK 32	24. UDHAM SINGH NAGAR 0
15.	NALGONDA 77	25. RAMPUR 04
16.	NELLORE 78	26. HARIDWAR 12
17.	NIZAMABAD 57	27. SAHARANPUR 30
18.	PRAKASHAM 78	28. CHAMOLI 17
19.	SRIKAKULAM 37	29. PAURI 52
20.	VISAKHAPATNAM 14	30. RUDRAPRAYAG 11
21.	VIZIANAGARAM 64	31. UTTARKASHI 04
22.	WARANGAL 35	32. TEHRI (GWL) 22
23.	WEST GODAVARI 94	33. PILIBHIT 02	34. ALLAHABAD 05
UTTAR PRADESH	35. KAUSHAMBI 02

1.	AGRA	216	36. BAHARICH 06

2.	FEROZABAD	02	37. SHRAWASTI 02 

3.	ALIGARH 0	38. BANDA 02

4.	HATHRAS 0	39. CHITRAKOT 01

5.	ALMORA	44	40. BASTI 70
6.	BAGESHWAR 0	41. SIDHARTHNAGAR 30

7	CHAMPAWAT	01	42. SANT KABIR NAGAR 25

8.	PITHORAGARH	04	43. ETAWAH 02 

9.	BADAUN 0	44. AURAIYA 01
10.	BIJNORE 53	45. FAIZABAD 25

NAME OF THE	STD BOOTHS NAME OF THE	STD BOOTHS	DISTRICT	PROVIDED IN DISTRICT	PROVIDED IN	RURAL AREAS RURAL AREAS
DURING 1999- DURING 1999-
2000 (AS ON 2000 (AS ON
29.2.2000) 29.2.2000)	UTTAR PRADESH
46.	AMBEDKARNAGAR	20	81. SITAPUR	02
47.	FARRUKHABAD 11	82. SULTANPUR 60
48.	KANNAUJ 05	83. UNNAO 15
49.	GONDA 50	BIHAR
50.	BALRAMPUR 20	1. ARRAH (BHOJPUR)	39
51.	GORAKHPUR 05	2. BUXAR 07
52.	MAHRAJGANJ 02	3. BHAGALPUR	52
53.	HAMIRPUR 0	4. BANKA 12
54.	MAHOBA 0	5. CHAPRA 70
55.	KANPUR 20	6. SIWAN 50
56.	KANPUR-DEHAT 02	7. GOPALGANJ 39
57.	MIRZAPUR 20	8. DARBHANGA 234
58.	SONEBHADRA 10	9. SAMASTIPUR 160
59.	BHADOHI 04	10.BEGUSARAI 63
60.	CHANDAULI 03	11.MADHUBANI 246
61.	VARANASI 08	12.KHAGARIA 64
62.	JHANSI 01	13.PALAMU 35
63.	LALITPUR 0	14.GARHWA 22
64.	DEORIA 07	15.DUMKA 03
65.	MAU 25	16.DEOGHAR 03
66.	KUSHINAGAR 08	17.GODDA 02
67.	AZAMGARH 95	18.SAHEBGANJ 02
68.	BALLIA 0	19.PAKUR 01
69.	BARABANKI 0	20 DHANBAD 32
70.	FATEHPUR 05	21.BOKARO 18
71.	GAZIPUR 01	22.GAYA 89
72.	HARDOI 0	23.NAWADA 11
73.	JAUNPUR 75	24.JAHANABAD 14
74.	LAKHIMPUR 02	25.AURANGABAD	57
75.	LUCKNOW 0	26.HAZARIBAGH 15
76.	MAINPURI 01	27.GIRIDIH 13
77.	ORAI 0	28.CHATRA 02
78.	PRATAPGARH 55	29.KODARMA 07
79.	RAEBARELI 20	30.EAST SINGHBHUM	03
80.	SHAHJAHANPUR 01	31.WEST SINGHBHUM	03

NAME OF THE	STD BOOTHS	DISTRICT	PROVIDED IN	RURAL AREAS	DURING 1999-	2000 (AS ON	29.2.2000) 

BIHAR
32.	KATIHAR	60
33.	PURNEA	59
34.	ARARIA	31
35.	KISHANGANJ	44
36.	EAST CHAMPARAN	40
37.	WEST CHAMPARAN	30
38.	MUNGER	09
39.	LAKHISARAI	16
40.	SHEIKHPURA	14
41.	JAMUI	03
42.	MUZAFFARPUR	04
43.	VAISHALI	03
44.	SITAMARHI	02
45.	SHEOHAR	02
46.	PATNA	46
47.	NALANDA	06
48.	RANCHI	89
49.	LOHARDAGA	05
50.	GUMLA	03
51.	SAHARSA	24
52.	SUPAUL	32
53.	MADHEPURA	38
54.	ROHTAS	31
55.	KAIMUR (BHABHUA)	51