Cell Phones: A Craze in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jun 10 : Though introduced only in 2003, cell phones have become a craze in the small hill state of Mizoram, with more than half the population using the device.

Middle-aged ladies carrying baskets-full of firewood and packets of vegetables talking animatedly into the device or daily wage-earners sending text messages between shifts are a common sight on the winding hilly roads.

The latest economic survey reveals that out of a population of around 10 lakh, 5,61,917 people carry mobile phones -- a fact which, officials think, is remarkable since the economy is heavily dependent on the service sector for sustenance.

Agriculture and industry contribute less than 40 per cent to the economy, the survey states.