Lok Sabha Question No. 3992 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-18
Subject: Linking of Gram Panchayats with Internet
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3992 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  MARCH, 2020

## LINKING OF GRAM PANCHAYATS WITH INTERNET

## 3992.   SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any survey has been conducted/ proposed to be conducted by the Government across the country for linking the Gram Panchayats with broadband/internet facility;
- (b) if so, the details and the outcomes thereof;
- (c) the number of such Gram Panchayats which are likely to be linked with this facility and the action taken by the Government in this regard, so far, State-wise, including Maharashtra; and
- (d) the  time  by  which  the  linking  of  Gram  Panchayats  with  broadband/internet  facility  is likely to be completed?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) & (b) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  for  providing broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) in the country. As part of project  execution,  the  survey  is  conducted  by  the  Implementing  Agencies  for  connecting  the Gram Panchayats.

As on 28.02.2020, by laying 4,24,299 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), a total of 1,50,029 GPs (including BHQs) have been connected, out of which 1,34,906 GPs (including BHQs) have been  made  Service  Ready.  In  addition,  1787  GPs  have  been  provided  connectivity  through satellite media. In total, 1,36,693 GPs (including BHQs) have been made Service Ready.

- (c) All  the  2.5  lakh  (approx.)  Gram  Panchayats  in  the  country,  including  Maharashtra,  are being  provided  broadband  connectivity  under  BharatNet  project.  BharatNet  Phase-I  (revised workfront) to connect 1.23 lakh GPs is almost complete. The BharatNet Phase-II to connect the remaining GPs is under implementation through State-led Model, Private Sector Model, Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Model and Public Private Partnership (PPP) model by using an optimal mix of media (namely OFC, Radio and satellite) to connect GPs. The State/Union Territory-wise status of BharatNet is at Annexure-I.

In  Maharashtra,  the  Phase-I  is  being  implemented  through  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam Limited (BSNL) and as on 28.02.2020, by laying 33,828 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), a total of 15,282 Gram Panchayats (including BHQs) have been connected, out of which 15,219 GPs (including  BHQs)    have  been  made  Service  Ready.  BharatNet  Phase-II  is  being  implemented through State Government in Maharashtra and as on 28.02.2020, by laying 23,932 km Optical Fibre  Cable  (OFC),  a  total  of  4,324  GPs  have  been  connected,  out  of  which  451  Gram Panchayats (GPs)  have been made Service Ready.

(d) The broadband connectivity to all the 2.5 lakh (approx.) Gram Panchayats in the country is targeted to be provided by August 2021.

## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in Part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3992 for Answer on 18.03.2020.

## State/UT-wise details of Service Ready GPs under BharatNet:

| S. No.   | State/UT                          |   No. of Service Ready GPs (As on 28.02.2020)* |
|----------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andaman &Nicobar                  |                                              8 |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh                    |                                           1638 |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh                 |                                            297 |
| 4        | Assam                             |                                           1622 |
| 5        | Bihar                             |                                           8355 |
| 6        | Chandigarh                        |                                             13 |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                      |                                           4819 |
| 8        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli               |                                             21 |
| 9        | Daman &Diu                        |                                             18 |
| 10       | Gujarat                           |                                          11333 |
| 11       | Haryana                           |                                           6188 |
| 12       | Himachal Pradesh                  |                                            250 |
| 13       | Jammu &Kashmir (including Ladakh) |                                           1027 |
| 14       | Jharkhand                         |                                           2517 |
| 15       | Karnataka                         |                                           6244 |
| 16       | Kerala                            |                                           1129 |
| 17       | Lakshadweep                       |                                              0 |
| 18       | Madhya Pradesh                    |                                          13059 |
| 19       | Maharashtra                       |                                          15670 |
| 20       | Manipur                           |                                            754 |
| 21       | Meghalaya                         |                                            206 |
| 22       | Mizoram                           |                                            165 |
| 23       | Nagaland                          |                                            129 |
| 24       | Odisha                            |                                           4088 |
| 25       | Puducherry                        |                                            101 |
| 26       | Punjab                            |                                          12560 |
| 27       | Rajasthan                         |                                           8751 |
| 28       | Sikkim                            |                                             18 |
| 29       | Tamil Nadu                        |                                              0 |
| 30       | Telangana                         |                                           2047 |
| 31       | Tripura                           |                                            688 |
| 32       | Uttar Pradesh                     |                                          29120 |
| 33       | Uttarakhand                       |                                           1560 |
| 34       | West Bengal                       |                                           2298 |
|          | Total                             |                                         136693 |

*Cumulative (including Block Headquarters)

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