The differences are emerging between  BSNL and the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) Administrator over the funding of mobile communications infrastructure in naxal affected stases.

The telecom department manages Rs 17,000- crore USOF corpus. The BSNL to meet all operating costs linked to the project from its internal revenues.

In a meeting chaired by telecom secretary R Chandrasekhar, it was decided that BSNL would be asked to establish mobile networks only around the major police stations across all Naxal- infested zones.

"We''ve told the BSNL management there's no need to provide exhaustive mobile coverage to every nook and cranny in states with a Maoist presence since that would be a waste of central resources. Coverage may extend some 3 km around every major police station in such regions," said a telecom department official who was present in the meeting.