Lok Sabha Question No. 1184 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Digitization of Gram Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1184

ANSWERED ON 11.02.2025

## DIGITIZATION OF GRAM PANCHAYATS

## †1184. SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM: SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State:

(a) whether the Government is aware that Gram Panchayats of various States of the countryincluding Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are not well equipped with computers and active internet connections even now;

(b) if so, the details and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether there is a time-line set by the Government for completion of targeted work of digitization of Gram Panchayats and implementation of Digital India Programme and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the details of measures being taken by the Government to provide active internet connections and computers to the Gram Panchayats in Sambhaji Nagar district of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) the time by which the same facilities are likely to be provided in all the Gram Panchayats and the State-wise including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

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

(a) to (e) Panchayat being a State subject, primary responsibility of providing infrastructure facilities to the Gram Panchayats lies with the States. However, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) being implemented from 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2026, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj supplements the efforts of States, on limited scale, by providing financial support for certain infrastructure for Gram Panchayats such as Gram Panchayat Bhawans, colocation of Common Service Centres, Computers, etc.

Further, to attain the vision of Digital India, BharatNet project (earlier known as National Optical Fiber Network) funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats in the country including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This

infrastructure may be leased to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) / Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for providing internet connectivity in the Gram Panchayats and other Institutions in rural areas. So far, out of total 2,65,014 Gram Panchayats, 2,18,360 Gram Panchayats have been made Service Ready for providing high speed internet services under the BharatNet project and 8,018 Gram Panchayats are under implementation.

To, further improve the digital connectivity, the Amended BharatNet Programme has been approved by the 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 and utilization at the total cost of Rs. 1,39,579 crores. BSNL has been nominated as the Project Management Agency.

In Maharashtra, out of 27,939 GPs planned, 24,575 GPs (24,569 GPs OFC + 6 GPs satellite) have been made service ready and implementation in remaining 3,114 GPs is in progress. 250 GPs are planned under Amended BharatNet Programme. Under BharatNet project, out of 871 Gram Panchayats, 756 Gram Panchayats have been made Service Ready in Aurangabad (Sambhaji Nagar) District.Moreover, in Madhya Pradesh, out of 22,858 GPs planned, 17,850 GPs (17,812 GPs OFC + 38 GPs satellite) have been made service ready. 5,008 GPs are planned under Amended BharatNet Programme. The timeline for the completion of the BharatNet project is March, 2027.

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