Gram Panchayats yet to get broadband connectivity

12/08/2018

National Optical Fibre Network (NoFN), now renamed as BharatNet project, was launched in 2012 with the approval of Union Cabinet provided in October 2011. However, progress had been slow across the country and the actual work on the project commenced only in the second half of 2014. As over 4400 Gram Panchayats and Block Headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir have yet not been provided broadband connectivity, the concerned authorities are unlikely to meet the deadline for implementation of BharatNet project in the State fixed by the Union Ministry of Communication. The project involves connecting all Gram Panchayats in the country to the Block Headquarters for provision of both bandwidth and dark fibre on a universal and non-discriminatory basis. The objective behind this project is to ensure positive impact on GDP growth besides providing quicker, transparent and cost effective governance to the people. However, implementation of the project has not picked up required momentum in Jammu and Kashmir till date because of the dilly-dallying approach of the concerned authorities and lack of cooperation from the State Government agencies.
This slow pace of work on the project can be gauged from the official figures, which reveal that as on July 8, 2018, a total of 549 kilometers long optical fibre cable has been laid since the launch of Bharat Net project in Jammu and Kashmir. Of 549 kilometer long optical fibre cable, 278 kilometer has been laid for Gram Panchayats and till date service has been made ready only in 204 Gram Panchayats. It is pertinent to mention here that target to connect all the Gram Panchayats with broadband connectivity through an optimal mix of media (OFC, radio and satellite media) is March 2019. How, 4426 Gram Panchayats and Block Headquarters could be provided broadband connectivity during remaining nine months remains a million dollar question? The broadband link between Block Headquarters and Gram Panchayats is imperative to establish citizen centric services such as e-health, e-education and e-governance etc and BharatNet is also aimed at achieving Union Government’s goal of providing affordable digital services in the rural areas. Had there been proper coordination between the project executing agency and concerned authorities of the State much headway could have been made in the implementation of Bharat Net project in the State.

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