¨
Punjab became the first
state to implement the revised Bharat Net scheme statewide.
¨
Punjab has bagged the
honour of becoming the first state in India to implement the amended Bharat Net
Scheme across its entire territory.
¨
On November 11, Punjab
Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha received the award from CGM BSNL Punjab Circle
Ajay Kumar Karara in Chandigarh.
¨
Internet and broadband
services have been provided in 43 shadow areas of the state, with only one
village remaining.
¨
By the end of November,
every village will be covered.
¨
With this achievement,
Punjab’s rural and border regions can now be monitored live from any location
in the country.
¨
The Bharat Net Scheme has
been designed to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats,
households, and key rural institutions.
¨
It also aims to support
e-health, and e-governance initiatives in villages to strengthen digital
inclusion.
¨
In October 2011, the
Government of India launched an ambitious project called BharatNet, which aims
to provide affordable high-speed internet access to every Gram Panchayat in the
country.
¨
The project is being
implemented by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Bharat Broadband Network
Limited (BBNL).
¨
BBBL was formed on
February 25, 2012, under the Indian Companies Act, 1956.
¨ In August 2023, the government approved the Revised BharatNet Programme (ABP).
