Lok Sabha Question No. 1846 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-07
Subject: USOF and Linking of Panchayat and Post Offices with Optical Fibre
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SUNIL KUMAR SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1846 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 th  MARCH, 2018

## USOF AND LINKING OF PANCHAYAT AND POST OFFICES WITH OPTICAL FIBRE

†1846. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  amount  of  funds  the  Government  proposes  to  spend  out  of  Universal  Service Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  for  promoting  basic  rural  facilities  under  Digital  India  in  the  current financial year;
- (b) the total number of gram panchayats and rural post offices provided link with optical fibre network in the country including Jharkhand along with the State-wise details thereof;
- (c) the time by which the target of linking all the gram panchayats and the rural post offices with the optical fibre network is likely to be achieved;
- (d) whether the Government is satisfied with the pace of work for launching internet services with the fibre; and
- (e) if not, the efforts made by the Government to expedite this work?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Rs. 6000 crore has been proposed to be spent out of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)  for promoting  basic rural facilities under  Digital India by providing  broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the current financial year 2017-18.
- (b)  &  (c)  The  State-wise  details  of  the  total  number  of Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  provided link with optical fibre network in the country, including Jharkhand, under BharatNet Project are given in Annexure-I.

BharatNet Project is to provide broadband connectivity to all 2.5 lakh GPs in the country, out of these 1.03 lakh GPs have been made Service Ready. The Project is to be completed by March 2019. The extension of broadband connectivity to institutions at GP level is proposed through State Government or the concerned Departments. Department of Post does not have any plan to provide optical fibre connectivity in the country, including in Jharkhand.

- (d) & (e) Yes Madam. In December 2017, Phase-I of BharatNet has been completed by connecting one lakh GPs. As on 25.02.2018, a total of 1,12,677 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been connected by laying 2,65,296 km OFC. The number of Service Ready GPs is 1,03,279. A modified strategy to implement BharatNet has been approved by Cabinet on 19.07.2017, which provides  optimal  mix  of  media  to  connect  GPs,  implementation  by  State-led  Model,  Private Sector,  CPSU  Model,  laying  of  fresh  fibre  from  Block  to  GPs  and  setting  up  of  last  mile architecture at all GPs. The timeline for completion of the Project is March, 2019.

## Annexure-I

State/UT-wise Status of BharatNet (as on 25.02.2018)

| S. No.   | State/UT             |   Number of Service Ready GPs |
|----------|----------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1        | Arunachal Pradesh    |                            14 |
| 2        | Assam                |                          1443 |
| 3        | Bihar                |                          4937 |
| 4        | Chandigarh           |                            13 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh         |                          3559 |
| 6        | Dadar & Nagar Haveli |                             0 |
| 7        | Daman & Diu          |                             0 |
| 8        | Gujarat              |                          4401 |
| 9        | Haryana              |                          5803 |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh     |                           162 |
| 11       | Jammu & Kashmir      |                           169 |
| 12       | Jharkhand            |                          1502 |
| 13       | Karnataka            |                          6071 |
| 14       | Kerala               |                          1129 |
| 15       | Lakshadweep          |                             0 |
| 16       | Madhya Pradesh       |                         10649 |
| 17       | Maharashtra          |                         13437 |
| 18       | Manipur              |                           123 |
| 19       | Meghalaya            |                           122 |
| 20       | Mizoram              |                            18 |
| 21       | Nagaland             |                            61 |
| 22       | Odisha               |                          2402 |
| 23       | Puducherry           |                           101 |
| 24       | Punjab               |                          6761 |
| 25       | Rajasthan            |                          8134 |
| 26       | Sikkim               |                             4 |
| 27       | Tamil Nadu           |                             0 |
| 28       | Telangana            |                          2042 |
| 29       | Tripura              |                           489 |
| 30       | Uttar Pradesh        |                         26352 |
| 31       | Uttarakhand          |                          1361 |
| 32       | West Bengal          |                          2020 |
| 33       | Andaman & Nicobar    |                             0 |
| 34       | Andhra Pradesh       |                             0 |
|          | Total                |                        103279 |

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