Maoist hotbed Bastar gets 3G coverage

RAIPUR, INDIA: Public sector telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Friday launched its much-awaited third generation (3G) services in Chhattisarh's Bastar region, considered to be India's nerve centre of Maoist militancy.

"It's a proud moment for me to declare that BSNL has begun its 3G services in Bastar from today. The people of Bastar can now enjoy the world class 3G services of BSNL," Ramyagya, chief general manager of the company in Chhattisgarh, told reporters Friday.

He said it was an achievement for BSNL to have its 3G services in a difficult terrain and insisted that the company would do its best to maintain uninterrupted services.

The mineral rich Bastar, in the southern tip of Chhattisgarh, has been a Maoist hotbed since late 1980s. Nearly 25,000 sq km of its total 40,000 sq km area is intensively mined by Maoists, according to police.

The region has witnessed several deadly attacks by the guerrillas on police and civilians in the recent past, including the massacre of 76 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force in April this year.