Varanasi (UP), May 21 : All the remaining villages of Uttar Pradesh will be covered with 4G network within a year. According to the government spokesman, the Union Minister of State for Telecom Devusinh Chauhan gave this information during his visit to Varanasi on Saturday. Chauhan along with Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel, launched installation of mobile towers equipped with 4G network at an event. The Union Cabinet had approved a project for saturation of 4G mobile services in uncovered villages across the country at a total cost of Rs 26,316 crore in July 2022. Chauhan said the 4G saturation project is an ambitious scheme envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create digital connectivity facility for the residents of far-flung areas and thereby bridge the digital divide in 500 days. "This scheme will not only be helpful in including the citizens living in far-flung areas in the mainstream and improving their standard of living, it will also be effective in delivering e-governance, medical and educational facilities and other citizen-centric schemes directly to the beneficiary," the minister said. He further said the locals will get direct and indirect benefits from installation of the mobile towers and the area will also get developed. Chauhan said that 65 remote villages of Varanasi district and adjoining Chandauli, Ghazipur, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Sonbhadra, Varanasi districts under the Varanasi Business Area will be provided 4G services through 49 new towers and by upgrading seven existing towers. /IANS