A total of 1,293 villages in Chhattisgarh have the duct created for putting optical fibre cable as on July 16, 2017 under BharatNet project so far, the Central Government has informed.
Tthe BharatNet project, which is one of the pillars of Digital India Programme, is planned to establish a network infrastructure by connecting all Gram Panchayats (approx. 2.5 lakh) in the country through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and by using an optimal mix of underground fibre, aerial fibre, radio and satellite media, for providing broadband connectivity by all categories of service providers on non-discriminatory basis.
The project is planned to be implemented in three phases. Under Phase I of the project, 1 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) are to be connected by laying underground OFC by November 2017 in the country. Under Phase II, connectivity will be provided to remaining 1.5 lakh GPs in the country using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio and satellite media, by March, 2019.
Under Phase III, a state- of- the-art future-proof network, including fibre between districts and blocks, with 5G services and Internet of Things and with underground OFC in ring architecture, is planned to be completed by 2023.
Out of total 9,770 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in Chhattisgarh, 4104 GPs have been taken up under BharatNet Phase-I for providing broadband connectivity, the Central Government has informed.
As on July 9, 2017, a total of 7,873 kms (3,159 GPs) Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid. A total of 1,289 GPs have been provided with broadband connectivity in Chhattisgarh so far.
The Union Ministry of Telecommunications has also approved a plan to connect village panchayats of Chhattisgarh with internet connectivity.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Raman Singh in April this year had called on Union Telecommunications Minister Manoj Sinha in the National Capital in which the approval was granted for the project.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh government has also already commenced work for laying a comprehensive OFC backbone link under 'BastarNet Project', officials informed.
The work comprises laying OFC in two ‘rings’-- the first being--Jagdalpur-Geedam-Kondagaon-Narayanpur-Bhanupratappur and Kanker.
The project would involve laying OFC in link 1 : Jagdalpur-Geedam – Approx. 71 Km, link 2 : Jagdalpur-Kondagaon – Approx. 74 Km, link 3: Kondagaon-Narayanpur- Approx. 48 Km, link 4: Narayanpur- Bhanupratapur - Approx. 76 Km, link 5 : Bhanupratapur- Kanker- Approx. 51 Km. link 6: Kanker- Kondagaon- Approx. 85 Km comprising a total of 405 Kms.
The work for underground OFC laying under Ring 2 would involve- Jagdalpur-Sukma-Dornapal-Konta-Dantewara-Geedam-Bijapur-Bhopalpattnam in which OFC would be laid in link 6: Jagdalpur-Sukma- Approx. 106 Km, link 7: Sukma-Dornapal- Approx. 36 Km, link 8: Dornapal- Konta- Approx. 44 Km, link 9: Sukma-Dantewara- Approx. 84 Km, link 10: Dantewara –Geedam- Approx. 18 Km, link 11: Geedam –Bijapur- Approx. 88 Km , link 12: Bijapur –Bhopalpattanam- Approx. 55 Km totalling 431 kms.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Raman Singh in August last year had stated that Bastar will be included in Chhattisgarh Government's ‘Digital Highway’ which will be a catalyst in bringing about a new revolution of development of a knowledge-based society, opportunity and economy.
It will also enhance the transparency, accuracy and accountability of government services, said while disclosing details on implementation of the ‘BastarNet’ project in his Independence Day speech delivered at the Police Parade ground here on August 15 last year.
He said that owing to its geographical conditions, it is necessary to ensure mobile and internet connectivity in Bastar.
Under this project, 832 kms long optical fibre cable will be laid at the cost of Rs 40 crore. This network will be built with 'ring network' so that it may provide uninterrupted mobile and internet connectivity through alternative routes, the Chief Minister said.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Raman Singh in August last year had stated that Bastar will be included in Chhattisagrh Government's ‘Digital Highway’ which will be a catalyst in bringing about a new revolution of development of a knowledge-based society, opportunity and economy. It will also enhance the transparency, accuracy and accountability of government services, said while disclosing details on implementation of the ‘BastarNet’ project in his Independence Day speech delivered at the Police Parade ground here on August 15.
He said that owing to its geographical conditions, it is necessary to ensure mobile and internet connectivity in Bastar.
Under this project, 832 kms long optical fibre cable will be laid at the cost of Rs 40 crore. This network will be built with 'ring network' so that it may provide uninterrupted mobile and internet connectivity through alternative routes, the Chief Minister said.
BSNl has also taken up work for laying optical fibre cable (OFC) in regions of extreme insurgency-infested Sukma district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
The OFC will be connected to a total of 14 Village Panchayat buildings under National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) project, officials informed.
Notably, BSNl has already commenced the process of laying optical fibre cables under NOFN project in parts of insurgency infested pockets of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
It would salso oon start laying optical fibre cables in its Kanker (Zone II) area with trenching work to be taken up in 30 village panchayats in the district, officials informed.
Similarly, the telecom major would also take up optical fibre laying work in its Bijapur – Zone I area where trenching work would be taken up in 18 village panchayats for the project.
Notably, with a view to providing a major boost to expansion of telecommunications services in Chhattisgarh, the BSNl is going to install 2000 new mobile towers in the State during the next two years, Union Minister for Telecommunications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced during his visit to Raipur in June last year.
Notably, via video conferencing, Prasad earlier had dedicated the 146 new mobile towers erected in insurgency-infested Bastar region and infrastructure for providing internet services developed in Panchayats at Balrampur-Ramanujgunj district through NFON.
“BSNl will set up 2,000 new mobile towers during the next two years in Chhattisgarh which will be a historical step to strengthen mobile connectivity in the State,” the Union Minister had informed in a press conference here after chairing a meeting with the officials at Chief Minister Raman Singh’s official residence.
“ The Chief Minister had urged the Centre to install 1600 mobiles towers in the State to improve telecom connectivity. I have spoken to BSNl officials and they have agreed to install as many as 2000 towers,” he had added.
In an effort to boost ‘digital drive’, 220 new Wi-Fi hot spots will be set up in the State mainly at tourist places, Prasad said. “The State presently has 27 Wi-fi hot spots. During the next one-and-half years, this facility will be extended to 220 more places. I have asked to cover prominent tourist places of the State including temples and waterfalls under the facility,” he said.
I had said earlier that the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was known for bringing four-lane, six-lane national highways and Narendra Modi Government will be known for bringing information highway, he added.
Chhattisgarh’s village panchayats will soon also be provided high speed internet connectivity across the State.
The OFC is now being expanded to provide high speed of 20 mbps connectivity at gram-panchayat levels, officials stated.
Interestingly, It may be mentioned here that Chhattisgarh bagged e-Panchayat National Award for linking almost all the panchayats with Information Technology network in the month of April last year.
In Chhattisgarh, the affairs of gram panchayats has been made online through internet and to maintain transparency in work even the vouchers related to expenditure are been uploaded on the website, the officials stated.
The income-expenditure of the gram panchayats is being uploaded on website with help of 'Priya' a software in order to proper information about financial management of the panchayats to the people.
The officers of Panchayat and Rural Development Department said that Chhattisgarh is the first State to set up VSAT and install computers at Janpad Panchayat (Development Block) level to attach the services through internet.
All the 27 districts of the State are using 11 softwares including Priya under the e-Panchayat scheme. This includes administrative directory.
The area profiler software collects information about socio-economic status, infrastructure and staff besides elected representatives of the gram panchayats, Janapad Panchayat, Zila Panchayat and urban bodies. The action software is used to upload information about various approved schemes and constructions works.
Social audit and meeting software is related to activities for social audit of panchayats and its meetings. The Chhattisgarh is also linked with the national panchayat portal, the officials claimed.
The Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) along with central public sector telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam ltd (BSNl) are in the process of creating a massive telecom infrastructure in the new capital region, officials informed.
NRDA and BSNl have signed a MoU for development of telecom infrastructure at NRDA.
Chhattisgarh’s new high-tech capital will also be having high speed ‘Fibre to the Home’ (FTTH) technology internet connectivity provided for ensuring smooth operations of enterprises which set up base in its industrial zones in the new capital region, official informed.
Fibre to the Home (FTTH) is a unique technology being deployed by public sector telecom giant BSNl for the first time in India.
The fibre connectivity having unlimited bandwidth and state-of-the-art technology provides fix access platform to deliver the high speed broadband from 256 Kbps to 100 Mbps.