Lok Sabha Question No. 2858 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Internet and e-Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Omprakash Bhupalsinh Alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2858

ANSWERED ON 18.03.2025

## INTERNETANDE-PANCHAYATS

## † 2858. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State:

(a) whether all Gram Panchayats of various States have been provided with internet/ePanchayat facility, if so, the details thereof, along with the time by which internet facilities are likely to be provided to all States;

(b) the details of villages connected to internet in the country, State and district-wise especially in Osmanabad and Washim-Yavatmal Parliamentary Constituency of Maharashtra;

(c) the steps taken by the Government to provide internet facility in those villages in the country where internet facility has not been provided yet;

(d) the details and the number of Panchayats in the country which have been provided with internet/e-Panchayat facility along with the details of the schemes being implemented in the country during the last five years and the current year, State-wise including State of Maharashtra, district-wise;

(e) the details of the steps taken by the Government to provide internet facility in those villages where internet facility is not available as on date; and

(f) the details of other schemes being implemented by the Government in this regard particularly in Osmanabad and Washim-Yavatmal Parliamentary Constituency?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (PROF. S.P. SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) & (b) Under Digital India Programme, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), in all the States/ Union Territories (UTs) of the country. The aim is to revamp the functioning of Panchayats and to make them more transparent, accountable, and effective. Ministry has launched eGramSwaraj, an accounting application to simplify Panchayat work like planning, accounting, and budgeting. Ministry

has also integrated eGramSwaraj with Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for Gram Panchayats (GPs) to make real-time payments to vendors/service providers. As on Date, 2,54,508 Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) for 2024-25 have been prepared and available in e-GramSwaraj. The progress made by States/UTs, under eGramSwaraj for the year 2024-25 is given at Annexure-I . Further, the number of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) prepared by Maharashtra, particularly in Osmanabad and Washim-Yavatmal Parliamentary Constituency is provided below.

| State/UT/ District Panchayat   |   Total GPs |   GPDP2024-25 |
|--------------------------------|-------------|---------------|
| Maharashtra                    |       27951 |         27744 |
| Latur                          |         786 |           784 |
| Osmanabad                      |         622 |           618 |
| Solapur                        |        1024 |          1011 |
| Washim                         |         491 |           491 |
| Yavatmal                       |        1201 |          1200 |

Further, BharatNet project being funded by Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs). This infrastructure is leased to TSPs/ISPs for provision of internet connectivity in GPs/rural areas including post offices/other Government institutions/ villages, schools, and private areas.

As of March 2025, out of 2,69,020 GPs planned, 2,18,347 GPs have been made Service Ready (Points) for providing high speed internet services under the BharatNet project. The State wise details of GPs made Service Ready for providing Broadband services is given in Annexure-II . Further, the details of Gram Panchayats that have been made service-ready in Maharashtra, particularly in Osmanabad and the Washim-Yavatmal Parliamentary Constituency, are provided below.

| State/UT/ District Panchayat   |   Total GPs |   Service Ready Points * |
|--------------------------------|-------------|--------------------------|
| Maharashtra                    |       27951 |                    24778 |
| Latur                          |         786 |                      792 |
| Osmanabad                      |         622 |                      629 |
| Solapur                        |        1024 |                      817 |
| Washim                         |         491 |                      488 |
| Yavatmal                       |        1201 |                     1127 |

Furthermore, Amended BharatNet Programme has been approved by Cabinet on 04.08.2023, wherein up-gradation of existing network of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II and work of creation of network in balance 42,000 GPs (approx.) is proposed. BSNL has been nominated as the Project Management Agency.

(c) to (e ) Following steps have been taken to provide broadband connections in GPs/rural areas including villages/ Government institutions, schools, post offices and private areas.

1. The BharatNet infrastructure is leased to TSPs/ISPs on non-discriminatory manner for provision of internet connectivity.
2. Interactions have been held by BBNL/BSNL with the User Ministries/Departments to seek the demand for high-speed data connections for the institutions running in rural areas.
3. Demand registration portal 'https://ruralfiber.bsnl.co.in' has been developed and shared with the Ministries/Departments.
4. BSNL has developed Franchisee Management System (FMS) for on boarding the franchisees and revenue share partners for proving FTTH connection in rural areas including GPs.
5. To improve the network availability at GPs
- I. Planned Maintenance Agencies and Fibre Maintenance Agencies have been appointed for restoration of faulty/ damaged optical fibre cable.
- II. Amended BharatNet Programme has been approved by Cabinet on 04.08.2023, for up-gradation of existing network of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II, creation of network in balance 42,000 GPs (approx.), Operation and Maintenance for 10 years for which tendering is under process.

Further, the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) prepared and made available on eGramSwaraj over the last five years including Maharashtra, district wise is provided below.

| State/UT/ District Panchayat   |   Total GPs* |   2024-25 |   2023-24 |   2022-23 |   2021-22 |   2020-21 |
|--------------------------------|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Maharashtra                    |        27951 |     27744 |     27661 |     27806 |     27878 |     27876 |
| Latur                          |          786 |       784 |       784 |       784 |       785 |       785 |
| Osmanabad                      |          622 |       618 |       621 |       622 |       622 |       622 |
| Solapur                        |         1024 |      1011 |      1014 |      1018 |      1027 |      1028 |
| Washim                         |          491 |       491 |       490 |       491 |       491 |       491 |
| Yavatmal                       |         1201 |      1200 |      1200 |      1199 |      1201 |      1201 |

Additionally, the total number of broadband connections provided through BharatNet from March 2019 to March 2024, as well as October 2024, is provided in Annexure-III.

(f) Ministry is implementing Revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) w.e.f. financial year 2022-23 in States/ UTs with main objective of capacitating Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) through imparting training to the Elected Representatives (ERs), functionaries and other stakeholders to develop their governance capabilities for leadership roles to enable the Panchayats to function effectively. Under scheme fund has been released to States/ Union territories not to Districts/ Gram Panchayats.

Additionally, the Ministry is implementing the SVAMITVA Scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, aims to provide ' Record of Property Rights ' to residents of rural inhabited areas by issuing Property Cards/Title Deeds through drone-based land parcel mapping. Implemented collaboratively by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Revenue Departments, State Panchayati Raj Departments, and the Survey of India, the scheme

facilitates the monetization of rural residential properties, reduces property disputes, and enhances village-level planning through digital mapping, contributing to rural self-reliance. As of March 12, 2025, drone surveys have been completed in 3.20 lakh villages nationwide, with approximately 2.42 crore property cards prepared for 1.59 lakh villages.

In Maharashtra, drone surveys have been completed in around 37,609 villages, leading to the preparation of 2.60 lakh property cards for 16,618 villages. The progress made in Osmanabad and Washim-Yavatmal Parliamentary Constituency is as under.

| District              |   Drone flying (Villages) |   No. of Property Card Prepared |
|-----------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Latur                 |                       869 |                           83450 |
| Osmanabad (Dharashiv) |                       725 |                           31152 |
| Solapur               |                      1092 |                           41327 |
| Washim                |                       677 |                           42087 |
| Yavatmal              |                      1795 |                          130555 |

*****

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2858 answered on 18.03.2025 regarding ' Internet and e-Panchayats ' .

## Adoption of eGramSwaraj at Panchayat level during FY 2024-25

|   S.No | State Name        | Total Number of Village Panchayats& Equivalent   | Village Panchayat onboard   |   Village Panchayats& Equivalent With Online Payment |   Total Number of Block Panchayats& Equivalent |   Block Panchayat onboard |   Block Panchayats With Online Payment |   Total Number of Zila Panchayats& Equivalent |   Zila Panchayat onboard |   Zila Panchayats With Online Payment |
|--------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|      1 | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 13328 13296                                      |                             |                                                12970 |                                            660 |                       660 |                                    642 |                                            13 |                       13 |                                    13 |
|      2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 2108                                             | 2106                        |                                                  222 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                            27 |                       25 |                                     8 |
|      3 | ASSAM             | 2662                                             | 2197                        |                                                 2176 |                                            191 |                       191 |                                    189 |                                            30 |                       29 |                                    27 |
|      4 | BIHAR             | 8054                                             | 8054                        |                                                 8045 |                                            534 |                       534 |                                    530 |                                            38 |                       38 |                                    38 |
|      5 | CHHATTISGARH      | 11596                                            | 11594                       |                                                11516 |                                            146 |                       146 |                                    146 |                                            27 |                       27 |                                    27 |
|      6 | GOA               | 191                                              | 190                         |                                                   93 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             2 |                        2 |                                     2 |
|      7 | GUJARAT           | 14656                                            | 14599                       |                                                13890 |                                            248 |                       248 |                                    248 |                                            33 |                       33 |                                    33 |
|      8 | HARYANA           | 6226                                             | 6222                        |                                                 5914 |                                            143 |                       143 |                                    134 |                                            22 |                       22 |                                    22 |
|      9 | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 3615                                             | 3614                        |                                                 3540 |                                             81 |                        81 |                                     81 |                                            12 |                       12 |                                    12 |
|     10 | JHARKHAND         | 4345                                             | 4345                        |                                                 4329 |                                            264 |                       264 |                                    262 |                                            24 |                       24 |                                    24 |
|     11 | KARNATAKA         | 5954                                             | 5954                        |                                                 5937 |                                            238 |                       232 |                                    126 |                                            31 |                       31 |                                    28 |
|     12 | KERALA            | 941                                              | 941                         |                                                  941 |                                            152 |                       152 |                                    152 |                                            14 |                       14 |                                    14 |

| S.No   | State Name     |   Total Number of Village Panchayats& Equivalent |   Village Panchayat onboard |   Village Panchayats& Equivalent With Online Payment |   Total Number of Block Panchayats& Equivalent |   Block Panchayat onboard |   Block Panchayats With Online Payment |   Total Number of Zila Panchayats& Equivalent |   Zila Panchayat onboard |   Zila Panchayats With Online Payment |
|--------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 13     | MADHYA PRADESH |                                            23011 |                       23009 |                                                22980 |                                            313 |                       313 |                                    310 |                                            52 |                       52 |                                    52 |
| 14     | MAHARASHTRA    |                                            27917 |                       27894 |                                                26737 |                                            351 |                       351 |                                    307 |                                            34 |                       34 |                                    34 |
| 15     | MANIPUR        |                                             3180 |                         161 |                                                  123 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                            12 |                        6 |                                     4 |
| 16     | MEGHALAYA      |                                             6817 |                           0 |                                                    0 |                                           2241 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             3 |                        3 |                                     0 |
| 17     | MIZORAM        |                                              842 |                         842 |                                                  832 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             0 |                        0 |                                     0 |
| 18     | NAGALAND       |                                             1289 |                         186 |                                                    0 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             0 |                        0 |                                     0 |
| 19     | ODISHA         |                                             6794 |                        6794 |                                                 6793 |                                            314 |                       314 |                                    314 |                                            30 |                       30 |                                    30 |
| 20     | PUNJAB         |                                            13237 |                       13222 |                                                 9775 |                                            152 |                       151 |                                    114 |                                            22 |                       22 |                                    19 |
| 21     | RAJASTHAN      |                                            11211 |                       11207 |                                                10837 |                                            361 |                       353 |                                    351 |                                            33 |                       33 |                                    33 |
| 22     | SIKKIM         |                                              199 |                         199 |                                                  195 |                                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             6 |                        6 |                                     6 |
| 23     | TAMILNADU      |                                            12525 |                       12525 |                                                12519 |                                            388 |                       388 |                                    388 |                                            36 |                       36 |                                    36 |
| 24     | TELANGANA      |                                            12991 |                       12768 |                                                12636 |                                            572 |                       540 |                                    508 |                                            32 |                       32 |                                    32 |
| 25     | TRIPURA        |                                             1194 |                        1185 |                                                 1174 |                                             75 |                        75 |                                     75 |                                             9 |                        9 |                                     9 |
| 26     | UTTARAKHAND    |                                             7795 |                        7794 |                                                 7743 |                                             95 |                        95 |                                     95 |                                            13 |                       13 |                                    13 |
| 27     | UTTAR PRADESH  |                                            57691 |                       57691 |                                                57609 |                                            826 |                       826 |                                    818 |                                            75 |                       75 |                                    75 |
| 28     | WEST BENGAL    |                                             3339 |                        3339 |                                                 3338 |                                            345 |                       345 |                                    345 |                                            22 |                       21 |                                    21 |
| Total  | Total          |                                           263708 |                      251928 |                                               242864 |                                           8690 |                      6402 |                                   6135 |                                           652 |                      642 |                                   612 |

\_\_\_\_\_\_

## Annexure-II

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2858 answered on 18.03.2025 regarding ' Internet and e-Panchayats ' .

## State wise details service ready points for providing Broadband connections.

| S. No.   | States/Uts                                |   Total no. of GPs |   No. of Service Ready Points* |
|----------|-------------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDAMANANDNICOBARISLANDS                  |                 70 |                             81 |
| 2        | ANDHRAPRADESH                             |              13327 |                          12972 |
| 3        | ARUNACHALPRADESH                          |               2108 |                           1145 |
| 4        | ASSAM                                     |               2665 |                           1634 |
| 5        | BIHAR                                     |               8054 |                           8860 |
| 6        | CHHATTISGARH                              |              11623 |                           9759 |
| 7        | GOA                                       |                191 |                              0 |
| 8        | GUJARAT                                   |              14674 |                          14563 |
| 9        | HARYANA                                   |               6225 |                           6204 |
| 10       | HIMACHALPRADESH                           |               3615 |                            416 |
| 11       | JAMMUANDKASHMIR                           |               4291 |                           1115 |
| 12       | JHARKHAND                                 |               4345 |                           4649 |
| 13       | KARNATAKA                                 |               5948 |                           6251 |
| 14       | KERALA                                    |                941 |                           1130 |
| 15       | LADAKH                                    |                193 |                            193 |
| 16       | LAKSHADWEEP                               |                 10 |                              9 |
| 17       | MADHYAPRADESH                             |              23011 |                          18106 |
| 18       | MAHARASHTRA                               |              27952 |                          24778 |
| 19       | MANIPUR                                   |               3812 |                           1485 |
| 20       | MEGHALAYA                                 |               6838 |                            697 |
| 21       | MIZORAM                                   |                843 |                            539 |
| 22       | NAGALAND                                  |               1315 |                            236 |
| 23       | ODISHA                                    |               6794 |                           7099 |
| 24       | PUDUCHERRY                                |                108 |                            101 |
| 25       | PUNJAB                                    |              13236 |                          12807 |
| 26       | RAJASTHAN                                 |              11193 |                           8997 |
| 27       | SIKKIM                                    |                199 |                             54 |
| 28       | TAMILNADU                                 |              12525 |                          10298 |
| 29       | TELANGANA                                 |              12860 |                          10926 |
|          | THE DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI ANDDAMANANDDIU |                 42 |                             41 |
| 30 31    | TRIPURA                                   |               1194 |                            772 |
| 32       | UTTARPRADESH                              |              57691 |                          47451 |
| 33       | UTTARAKHAND                               |               7788 |                           2021 |
| 34       | WESTBENGAL                                |               3339 |                           2958 |
|          | Total                                     |             269020 |                         218347 |

## Annexure-III

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2858 answered on 18.03.2025 regarding ' Internet and e-Panchayats ' .

## No. of cumulative Broadband connection provided through BharatNet.

|   S. No. | States/UTs           | Mar, 19   | Mar, 20   | Mar, 21   | Mar, 22   |   Mar 23 |   Mar- 24 |   Oct-2 4 |
|----------|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------|
|        1 | A&N                  | 0         | 0         | 2         | 0         |     1185 |      5524 |      7347 |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh       | 19        | 450       | 7366      | 3585      |     3444 |     32173 |     46179 |
|        3 | Arunachal Pradesh    | 0         | 0         | 24        | 88        |       88 |        13 |        13 |
|        4 | Assam                | 740       | 986       | 5839      | 1136      |     2229 |      5024 |      5649 |
|        5 | Bihar                | 870       | 118       | 33626     | 37012     |    15705 |     33768 |     40789 |
|        6 | Chandigarh           | 0         | 0         | 55        | 0         |       64 |         0 |         0 |
|        7 | Chhattisgarh         | 956       | 1201      | 17469     | 9513      |     4474 |      8277 |     11549 |
|        8 | D&NH                 | 0         | 10        | 44        | 35        |        7 |        46 |       142 |
|        9 | D&D                  | 0         | 11        | 34        | 21        |        1 |         0 |         0 |
|       10 | Gujarat              | 679       | 4592      | 33875     | 22897     |    20877 |    119604 |    121265 |
|       11 | Haryana              | 183       | 803       | 33279     | 17597     |    37349 |    103665 |    137543 |
|       12 | Himachal Pradesh     | 3         | 94        | 1072      | 438       |     1095 |      2828 |      3451 |
|       13 | Jammu & Kashmir (UT) | 0         | 109       | 766       | 508       |     4022 |      8575 |      9575 |
|       14 | Jharkhand            | 711       | 921       | 15705     | 3010      |    11737 |     24338 |     27565 |
|       15 | Karnataka            | 5122      | 8347      | 36666     | 10859     |    15196 |     44990 |     51098 |
|       16 | Kerala               | 1632      | 2179      | 2624      | 1941      |    40194 |    141927 |    190237 |
|       17 | Lakshdweep           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |        0 |         0 |         0 |
|       18 | Laddakh(UT)          |           |           |           |           |        0 |         0 |         0 |
|       19 | Madhya Pradesh       | 2497      | 605       | 55044     | 7579      |    45218 |     48306 |     55381 |
|       20 | Maharashtra          | 3034      | 5304      | 66075     | 23386     |    11329 |     23228 |     26063 |
|       21 | Manipur              | 0         | 0         | 100       | 335       |     1105 |      1110 |      1737 |
|       22 | Meghalaya            | 0         | 0         | 100       | 16        |       14 |       149 |       103 |
|       23 | Mizoram              | 0         | 0         | 21        | 0         |       32 |         9 |        41 |
|       24 | Nagaland             | 0         | 0         | 52        | 116       |      116 |       101 |       131 |
|       25 | Odisha               | 191       | 1649      | 21057     | 9534      |     4911 |      9073 |     10907 |
|       26 | Puducherry           | 22        | 83        | 785       | 114       |       28 |      3072 |      3826 |
|       27 | Punjab               | 66        | 747       | 38994     | 33341     |    68560 |    177734 |    213118 |
|       28 | Rajasthan            | 1622      | 1948      | 2376      | 1029      |    11579 |     42628 |     49252 |
|       29 | Sikkim               | 0         | 0         | 8         | 0         |       15 |        41 |        44 |
|       30 | Telangana            | 144       | 526       | 2353      | 2648      |     4479 |     19854 |     20881 |
|       31 | Tamil Nadu           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |     1014 |        51 |        82 |
|       32 | Tripura              | 0         | 651       | 2980      | 1426      |      709 |      1231 |      1370 |
|       33 | Uttar Pradesh        | 3798      | 2360      | 106203    | 33444     |    13204 |     55711 |     67525 |
|       34 | Uttarakhand          | 856       | 561       | 8280      | 4647      |     4691 |     16072 |     19675 |

| S. No.   | States/UTs   |   Mar, 19 |   Mar, 20 |   Mar, 21 |   Mar, 22 |   Mar 23 |   Mar- 24 |   Oct-2 4 |
|----------|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------|
| 35       | West Bengal  |       212 |      1041 |      7294 |      2886 |    15447 |     37091 |     51998 |
| Total    | Total        |     23357 |     35296 |    500168 |    229141 |   340118 |    966213 |   1174536 |

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