India’s first village: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to locals over the phone as Giu village in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti got mobile network for the first time today, as it marks a significant milestone in the village's connectivity journey.
The initiation of mobile services in Giu brings forth a new era of communication and access to information for its inhabitants, many of whom previously lived without such connectivity.
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Here's what PM Modi said
During a telephonic conversation lasting over 13 minutes, Modi discussed his visit to the border region during Diwali and emphasised that linking the village to the mobile network would accelerate the 'Digital India' campaign.
The Prime Minister noted that the government is now focusing on connecting all areas with communication technology, following the success achieved with the electrification exercise. He highlighted that when he assumed office, over 18,000 villages were without electricity.
A villager told him that they could not believe it for a moment when they were told that the area will be connected to the mobile network and their happiness knew know no bounds when it finally happened.
They had to earlier travel for around eight kilometres to use their mobile-phones, a villager said.
PM Modi emphasised his government's endeavours to enhance development in border areas through the 'Vibrant Village Programme (VVP)'. He underscored that previous administrations had neglected these regions, leaving them to fend for themselves.
He further said that in his third term, his focus will shift towards improving the quality of life for people, following the priority given to enhancing their ease of living thus far. He emphasized that this shift will greatly benefit remote regions, as well as the poor and middle-class segments of society.
The region will also benefit a lot from the 'One District One Product' programme, he added.
India's first village Kaurik and Guea gets telecom connectivity
Telecom connectivity has now reached Kaurik and Giu, India's first village in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Located at an elevation of 14,931 feet above sea level, these remote villages can now access telecommunications services.
“Telecom connectivity reaches 14,931 Ft above sea level at India’s first village, Kaurik and Guea, in Lahaul & Spiti District, HP. Connecting the unconnected,” the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, said in a post on X.
Kaurik, situated in the Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh, lies in the valley of the Parang or Pare Chu River, just before it meets the Spiti River. It is positioned near the border with Tibet.
Giu is a village located approximately 40 km from the Tabo Monastery, within the Tabo village of the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Positioned at latitude 31.11 and longitude 77.16, the village is a short distance away from the India-China border.
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