New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Thursday said that BharatNet is playing a transformative role in turning India into a digitally empowered society by bridging the digital divide and expanding broadband access across rural areas.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister described BharatNet as one of the world’s largest government-led connectivity programmes and said it reflects the government’s commitment to providing internet access to every citizen in the country.

He said that over the past eleven years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed unprecedented growth in mobile and broadband connectivity, leading to a historic digital transformation.

“Over the last eleven years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed an unprecedented expansion in mobile and broadband connectivity, driving a historic digital transformation,” Scindia stated.

Highlighting the progress under BharatNet, the Minister said the project connects gram panchayats through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC). Out of 2.56 lakh gram panchayats in the country, nearly 2.14 lakh have been made online under BharatNet Phases I and II, implemented at an approximate cost of Rs 42,000 crore.

In Tamil Nadu, the project is being implemented through the state’s special purpose vehicle, Tanfinet.

Out of 12,525 gram panchayats in the state, 10,869 have been connected so far. The remaining gram panchayats and 4,767 non-gram panchayat villages will be covered under the amended BharatNet Programme, a $16.9 billion initiative described as the largest government-led connectivity programme globally.

“Cooperation from States in implementing Right of Way regulations and portals will significantly accelerate broadband expansion and ensure timely benefits to citizens,” Scindia emphasised.

Scindia also spoke about the National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0, launched on April 1, 2025, which has set key targets to be achieved by 2030.

He said that OFC connectivity with 95 per cent uptime has already been achieved in 42,000 villages as of December 2025, with a target of covering 2.7 lakh villages by 2030.

The Minister noted that the average time taken for disposal of Right of Way (RoW) applications has been reduced significantly from 455 days to 30.4 days, achieving the 2030 target ahead of schedule.

–IANS

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