Lok Sabha Question No. 1566 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-28
Subject: BharatNet Project in Chhattisgarh
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Vijay Baghel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1566 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 th   JULY, 2021

## BHARATNET PROJECT IN CHHATTISGARH

†1566. SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of BharatNet project throughout the country;
- (b) its present status of implementation of the said project in Durg parliamentary constituency and other districts of Chhattisgarh; and
- (c) whether  there  has  been  any  delay  in  the  implementation  of  the  project  in  the  aforesaid areas and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

- (a) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity  to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  in  the  country.  The  scope  of  BharatNet  has  been extended recently upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs. As on 02.07.2021, a total number of 1,57,383 Gram Panchayats have been made Service Ready under the Project.
- (b) In Chhattisgarh, the implementation of BharatNet Phase-I has already been completed and BharatNet Phase-II is being implemented by the State Government under State-led model. The District-wise  details  of  Chhattisgarh,  including  Durg  parliamentary  constituency  (namely  Durg and Bemetara Districts) are given in Annexure-I .
- (c) The implementation of BharatNet Phase-II in Chhattisgarh under the State-led model is delayed.  Long  time  taken  in  obtaining  Right  of  Way  (RoW)  permissions,  difficult  terrain  and issues in carrying out work in the State's Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas have also impacted  the  project  progress.  Since  March  2020,  pursuant  to  lockdown  and  movement restrictions due to COVID-19, the progress of the project has been further adversely affected.

For  expediting  the  implementation  of  the  project,  close  monitoring  by  Department  of Telecommunications (DoT), Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and Bharat Broadband Network  Limited  (BBNL)  is  being  done,  and  regular  review  meetings  are  held  with  the  State Government/Implementing Agency. Further, State Level Implementation Committee chaired by Chief Secretary of the State has also been constituted to monitor the progress of the project and to resolve the issues in a timely manner.

Annexure referred to in Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1566 for answer on 28.07.2021

## District-wise status of BharatNet project in Chhattisgarh (as on 02.07.2021)

| S. No.   | District               |   No. of Service Ready GPs (including Block Headquarters) |
|----------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Balod                  |                                                       331 |
| 2        | Baloda Bazar           |                                                       419 |
| 3        | Balrampur              |                                                       345 |
| 4        | Bastar                 |                                                       239 |
| 5        | Bemetara               |                                                       328 |
| 6        | Bijapur                |                                                        62 |
| 7        | Bilaspur               |                                                       362 |
| 8        | Dantewada              |                                                        56 |
| 9        | Dhamtari               |                                                       254 |
| 10       | Durg                   |                                                       283 |
| 11       | Gariyaband             |                                                       165 |
| 12       | Janjgir                |                                                       502 |
| 13       | Jashpur                |                                                       339 |
| 14       | Kanker                 |                                                       252 |
| 15       | Kawardha               |                                                       331 |
| 16       | Kondagaon              |                                                       245 |
| 17       | Korba                  |                                                       229 |
| 18       | Koriya                 |                                                       166 |
| 19       | Mahasamund             |                                                       419 |
| 20       | Mungeli                |                                                       299 |
| 21       | Narayanpur             |                                                        44 |
| 22       | Raigarh                |                                                       448 |
| 23       | Raipur                 |                                                       337 |
| 24       | Rajnandgaon            |                                                       572 |
| 25       | Surguja                |                                                       392 |
| 26       | Sukma                  |                                                        67 |
| 27       | Surajpur               |                                                       240 |
| 28       | Gaurela Pendra Marwahi |                                                       134 |
| Total    | Total                  |                                                      7860 |

******