Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the government will ensure supply of free Doordarshan DTH (FreeDish) connections in far-flung areas in villages at Indo-China border.

He added that better mobile connectivity for residents of these remote villages will be ensured soon and the government was committed to better all-round connectivity in these areas.

Thakur made these observations during an interaction he had with the villagers at Karzok village of Ladakh, some 211 kilometres from Leh, according to an official statement put out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

With an aim to neutralise cross-border propaganda and to achieve the goal of reaching out to the people living in far-flung and border areas through the platform of DD FreeDish, the government has proposed to distribute 150,000 free.

Asserting that the government is committed to development of border villages, Thakur assured the local villagers that their demands for better digital and road connectivity, enhancing tourism and sports infrastructure, and improved Jal Jeewan Mission, will also be implemented on a priority basis.

As part of the government’s vibrant village programme, Thakur had embarked on a three-day tour of Ladakh earlier this week, during which he stayed in Karzok village, held meeting with UT and district officials to review Central/State Government schemes and distribution of sports equipment at Karzok, besides interacting with the ITBP jawans at Karzok platoon post located about 15,000 feet above sea level on India-China border.

During one of his interactions with locals, according to the official statement, the Minister asserted that after the formation of the Union Territory or federally administered region in 2019, a lot of developmental work had been undertaken, including sanctioning of 375 mobile towers in Leh.