BharatNet Amended Programme: Jharkhand Signs Rs 1,684 Crore Pact
Why in the news
Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) and Jharkhand signed an agreement to roll out the Amended BharatNet Programme through the state-led route, bringing broadband to rural areas of the state.
Key facts
- Jharkhand sanction: Rs 1,684 crore, for 4,395 gram panchayats plus demand-based connections to about 26,777 villages.
- Expected gains: e-governance, online education, telemedicine and digital payments in villages.
- Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) is the funding agency signing the deal; the model chosen is state-led.
| Feature | Amended BharatNet Programme |
|---|---|
| Cabinet approval | 4 August 2023 |
| Outlay | Rs 1,39,579 crore |
| Core target | All 2.64 lakh gram panchayats |
| Extra villages | About 3.8 lakh, on demand |
| Network design | Ring topology, IP-MPLS; old linear network upgraded and completed |
| Upkeep | 10 years of O&M with service-level agreements |
| Last mile | Udyami model: a local entrepreneur offers fibre-to-the-home and shares revenue |
| Implementation | BSNL-led or state-led |
About BharatNet
- Began as the National Optical Fibre Network in 2011 to link every gram panchayat by broadband.
- Phases 1 and 2 laid fibre to about 2.1 lakh panchayats, yet links often stayed down for want of upkeep and last-mile networks.
- BSNL is the project management agency after BBNL merged into it in 2022.
About Digital Bharat Nidhi
- Created under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, replacing the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
- Financed through a levy on telecom operators’ revenue; supports rural connectivity, research and pilots.
Significance
- Rural broadband underpins Digital India services, e-learning, telemedicine and PM-WANI public Wi-Fi.
- Rings let traffic reroute when one link breaks, so a single cut does not black out a village.
- In the state-led model the state’s own power and road networks are used and right-of-way clearance speeds up, a major earlier cause of delay.
Exam angle
- Programme approved: 4 August 2023; outlay Rs 1,39,579 crore.
- Design terms: ring topology, IP-MPLS, 10-year O&M, Udyami model.
- Fund: Digital Bharat Nidhi (formerly USOF), under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
- Jharkhand numbers: Rs 1,684 crore; 4,395 panchayats; 26,777 villages.