Lok Sabha Question No. 2688 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-04
Subject: Delay in Completion of BharatNet Project
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2688 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH   DECEMBER, 2019

## DELAY IN COMPLETION OF BHARATNET PROJECT

## 2688. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  times  deadlines  for  BharatNet  Project  have  been  extended  along  with  the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the phase II of the project was to be completed by 31st December, 2018 and if so, the details  thereof  and  the  projected  cost-overruns  due  to  delay,  if  any,  in  the  completion  of  the  said phase;
- (c) whether the Government has asked the Chief Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) about the reason for the reported non-functionality of connectivity in 80 to 90 per cent of Gram Panchayat across the country and if so, the details thereof and the response received by the Government thereon;
- (d) whether there is a correlation between internet usage and GDP per capita and if so, the details thereof,  and  the  total  economic  loss  suffered  by  the  country  due  to  delay  in  operationalisation  of BharatNet projects, alongwith the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (e) whether some officials of Department of Telecommunication (DoT) were transferred between 01.11.2018  and  14.11.2018  because  of  poor  operations  of  BharatNet  infrastructure  and  if  so,  the details thereof and the other steps taken against erring officials; and
- (f) whether there are discrepancies found by the Government in procurement of faulty hardware installed by BSNL and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) & (b) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) in the country.  In December 2017, the Phase-I of the BharatNet project was completed by connecting one lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs). A modified strategy to implement BharatNet has been approved by Cabinet on 19.07.2017, which inter alia included the estimated project cost as Rs 42,068 crore and targeted the completion of the project by March 2019.

The BharatNet project is under implementation, and as on 22.11.2019, by laying 3,85,754 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), a total of 1,42,086 GPs have been connected and out of them, 1,28,990 have been made Service Ready. In addition, 983 GPs have been made Service Ready over satellite media. A total of 2 lakh GPs are targeted to be completed by March 2020.

Implementation of BharatNet is very challenging as the project is of mega nature and the GPs are widely dispersed across the country in rural and remote areas. All out efforts are being made to expeditiously implement the project.

As of now, no approval has been taken from the Cabinet for upward revision of the project cost for implementation of the BharatNet.

(c) As the BharatNet project is monitored by the Department of Telecommunications, letters have been  written  to  the  CMD,  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  CMD,  Bharat  Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) regarding BharatNet Operations & Management and other related issues.

The  following  steps  have  been  taken  for  providing  stable  broadband  connectivity  from  the BharatNet network in Country:

-  Network is being monitored through Network Operating Centre (NOC) and its reports are being monitored on a regular basis.
-  The  Digital  Communications  Commission  (DCC)  on  13.06.2019  has  approved  to award the work of maintenance (i.e. O&M of incremental Optical Fibre Cable network and  First  Line  Maintenance  of  equipment  and  supporting  infrastructure)  in  each  of about 1.25 lakh GPs of the BharatNet Phase-I, to CSC e-Governance Services India Limited.
-  The  Operations  &  Maintenance  (O&M)  of  BharatNet  Phase-II  network,  is  to  be carried out mainly through the respective Project Implementation Agencies (PIA).

(d) As  per  the  TRAI  Recommendations  on  'Proliferation  of  Broadband  through  Public  Wi-Fi Networks'  dated  09.03.2017,  the  World  Bank's  World  Development  Report  observed  that  on  an average a 10% increase in internet penetration, is likely to lead to a 1.4% growth in the GDP of an economy. However, the total calculation of the economic loss, suffered by the country due to delay in operationalisation of BharatNet project, seems to be presumptive in nature.

For  expediting  the  implementation  and  operationalisation  of  the  project,  the  following  committees have been constituted for timely resolution of the issues:

- i) Empowered Committee under Secretary, DoT.
2. ii) Steering Committee under Administrator, USOF.
3. iii) State Level Implementation Committee chaired by Chief Secretary of the State would be set up which would have DoT/USOF/BBNL designated officials as its members.
4. (e) The transfer and posting of officers is a routine administrative matter in the Department.
5. (f) As per the information received from BBNL, there is no such report.

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