BHUBANESWAR: The State government’s ambitious target to provide high-speed internet connectivity to all the 6,798 gram panchayats (GPs) by April 2021 may not be achieved due to delay in laying optic fibre cable.
The government had prepared a robust plan to spread internet connectivity to the remotest parts of the State by 2020 and is claimed to have covered 3,770 GPs and 175 blocks under BharatNet, the flagship mission of the Centre implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL), till date.
In the first phase, 3,810 GPs and 181 blocks were taken up for internet connectivity within the March 2019 deadline. The work for connecting other 2,954 GPs and 133 blocks of 12 districts has been taken up under Phase-II. Under this phase, around 20,000 km of aerial optical fibre was to be drawn against which 13,400 km of cable laying has been completed.
The progress of BharatNet project was reviewed at the State level implementation committee meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.
Secretary of Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Manoj Mishra said so far, 3,945 GPs and blocks have been provided internet connectivity under Phase-I.