Lok Sabha Question No. 1368 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-25
Subject: Digital India Initiative
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1368 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th   JULY, 2018

## DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE

1368. SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the challenges faced by the Government in the effective implementation of Digital India  initiative  and  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  tide  over  the  said challenges;

(b) the  number  of  internet  subscribers  in  the  country  separately  in  rural  and  hilly areas, State/UT-wise; and

- (c) the estimated fund required and allocated for the said purpose, State/ UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The  implementation  of  the  Digital  India  programme  is  being  monitored  by  a Monitoring  Committee on Digital India  headed  by  the  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister,  a  Digital India  Advisory  Group  chaired  by  the  Hon'ble  Minister  of  Electronics  and  Information Technology and an Apex Committee on Digital India chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. The issues and challenges, like funding, coordination and permission etc., coming in the way  of  effective  implementation  of  the  Digital  India  programme  are  being  addressed through the above mentioned monitoring mechanism;

(b) Information  in  respect  of  the  internet  subscribers  in  the  country  is  maintained License  Service  Area  (LSA)  wise.LSA  wise  details  of  the  internet  subscribers  in  the country, as on 31 st  March, 2018, are placed at Annexure; and

(c) The Digital India programme covers multiple projects of various Central Ministries/Departments  and  States/Union  Territories  (UTs).  Funds  under  Digital  India Programme are not allocated State/Union Territory (UT)-wise. The total fund allocated to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) under Digital India Programme for the Financial Year 2018-19 is Rs. 3,073 crore. Under BharatNet, which is a project to connect approx 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) by Broadband, has an approval of Rs. 42,068 crore by the Cabinet in July, 2017.

## Annexure

## Licence Service Area (LSA) wise number of internet subscribers in India

| Sr.No.         | License Service Area (LSA)   | Number of Internet Subscribers as on 31.03.2018 ( in million)   | Number of Internet Subscribers as on 31.03.2018 ( in million)   | Number of Internet Subscribers as on 31.03.2018 ( in million)   |
|----------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr.No.         | License Service Area (LSA)   | Rural                                                           | Urban                                                           | Total                                                           |
| 1              | Andhra Pradesh               | 12.83                                                           | 24.78                                                           | 37.61                                                           |
| 2              | Assam                        | 5.04                                                            | 4.77                                                            | 9.81                                                            |
| 3              | Bihar                        | 13.51 14.90                                                     |                                                                 | 28.41                                                           |
| 4 Delhi        | 0.72                         | 30.42                                                           |                                                                 | 31.14                                                           |
| 5 Gujarat      | 8.26                         | 23.16                                                           | 31.42                                                           |                                                                 |
| 6 Haryana      | 3.80                         | 5.25                                                            | 9.05                                                            |                                                                 |
| 7 Himachal     | Pradesh 2.04                 | 4.90                                                            | 6.94                                                            |                                                                 |
| 8 &            | Kashmir 1.92                 | 3.89                                                            | 5.81                                                            |                                                                 |
| 9              | 6.69                         | 25.45                                                           | 32.14                                                           | Jammu Karnataka                                                 |
| 10             | 7.49                         | 12.31                                                           | 19.80                                                           | Kerala                                                          |
| 11 Kolkata     | 1.00                         | 12.35                                                           | 13.35                                                           |                                                                 |
| Madhya         | Pradesh 6.94                 | 18.94                                                           | 25.88                                                           | 12                                                              |
| 13 Maharashtra | 12.79                        | 26.66                                                           | 39.45                                                           |                                                                 |
| Mumbai         | 0.75                         | 21.72                                                           | 22.47                                                           | 14                                                              |
| 15 North East  | 2.38                         | 3.56                                                            | 5.94                                                            |                                                                 |
| 16 Orissa      | 5.67                         | 6.54                                                            |                                                                 | 12.21                                                           |
| 17 Punjab      | 4.58                         | 14.05                                                           |                                                                 | 18.63                                                           |
| 18 Rajasthan   | 9.47                         | 16.99                                                           |                                                                 | 26.46                                                           |
| 19 Tamil Nadu  | 9.31                         | 30.26                                                           |                                                                 | 39.57                                                           |
| 20 UP (East)   | 14.46                        | 20.29                                                           |                                                                 | 34.75                                                           |
| 21 UP          | (West)                       | 7.03 16.75                                                      |                                                                 | 23.78                                                           |
| 22 West Bengal | 9.14                         | 10.17                                                           |                                                                 | 19.31                                                           |
|                | Total                        | 145.82                                                          | 348.11                                                          | 493.93                                                          |

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