Gram panchayats to get free Internet connections

Taking a big step towards Digital India, the Haryana Government has launched an ambitious project in collaboration with BSNL to provide free Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Internet connection to government institutions in all gram panchayats. Under the programme, BSNL installed 31,741 connections till December 31.

Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi chaired the second meeting of the State Broadband Committee here today, wherein it was informed that the project worth Rs 130 crore had been jointly funded by the Central and state governments.

The initiative aims to enhance digital connectivity and empower rural communities by providing them access to high-speed Internet services. Each gram panchayat will be provided 10 FTTH connections for two years from the date of installation. The connections are being provided free of cost, which will significantly improve digital access for government functions.

The issues discussed at the meeting also included the implementation of Right of Way (RoW) Rules 2024, implementation of RoW application status and deemed approval, Call Before You Dig (CBUD) initiative and implementation of Digital Communication Readiness Index (DCRI).