THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet on Wednesday decided to accord administrative sanction to the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) project to provide free high-speed internet connection to 20 lakh families. The Rs 1,548-crore project aims to strengthen the internet backbone of the state and to provide free or subsidised internet connection to people. Kerala had earlier declared internet as a basic right of citizens.
A joint venture of KSEB and Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd, KFON will be completed by December 2020. The project tender was awarded to a consortium led by Central PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd. KFON will help internet service providers and cable TV operators provide better service delivery. Connection will be given to over 30,000 government institutions and educational institutions.
An official statement said the project would make quality enhancement in the education sector besides a giant leap in the IT sector. It is slated to throw open opportunities for artificial intelligence, block chain, internet for things and startups.
KFON will help to speed up the digitisation of government services. The e-health project can be implemented more effectively. High-speed connectivity will be given to IT parks, airports and ports.
All mobile towers can be connected with the fibre network with the completion of the project.
New village
The cabinet has decided to form a new village in Kasaragod. Named Thuruthi, the new village will be formed by bifurcating Cheruvathur village.
IAS officer T V Anupama will be given additional charge of the special officer for the 90-day anti-drug programmes of Vimukthi Mission. B P Saseendran will be reappointed Kannur district government pleader and public prosecutor. S L Shailaja is to be appointed as government pleader in the High Court.
Two higher secondary batches will be sanctioned at the Model Residential School, Ettumanoor, and one at the Ekalavya MRS, Idukki. Twenty-three new posts will be created at Oushadhi’s Panchakarma Hospital in Thrissur.