Broadband Network Pact Signed with 16 States and UT Government

The central government on 26 October 2012 signed a tripartite pact with 16 state and UT governments for laying digital highway and also formed a special purpose vehicle BBNL for facilitating connection to every gram Panchayat with broadband network.

The states which signed the pact include Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerela, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Also, the three union territories Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry also signed the agreement

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed for around 140000 gram panchayats. It is Rs 20000 crore projects and entire fund is going to be provided by central government.

State Governments will have to provide approvals for laying of the optic fibre network and facilitate other measures for expeditious rollout of the network.

By December 2013, broadband network across the country will be completed. The states which signed the pact constitute 60 per cent gram panchayats in the country.

Bharat Broadband Network Ltd will be unveiling the project, which will be executed by BSNL, RailTel and Power Grid.