New Delhi: The Government of India has approved financial support of ₹3,942 crore for implementation of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Tuesday, after an agreement was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi to fast-track rural broadband rollout under a state-led model.
What the agreement covers
The memorandum of understanding was signed among Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Government of Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh State BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (CSBIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS). The exercise aims to upgrade and expand the existing BharatNet network to deliver robust and future-ready broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats and villages on a demand basis.
Under the state-led model, implementation in Chhattisgarh will be carried out by CSBIL with support from BSNL and CHiPS. The ABP—approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 August 2023—seeks to move the network from a primarily linear topology to resilient ring configurations where needed, and to expand last-mile access.
Coverage and technical scope
The programme in Chhattisgarh will cover 11,682 Gram Panchayats. The scope includes upgrading 4,048 Phase-I Gram Panchayats from linear to ring topology to improve resilience; covering 5,964 Phase-II Gram Panchayats; and incorporating 1,670 newly created Gram Panchayats. In addition, 8,328 villages have been identified to receive connectivity on a demand basis to strengthen last-mile access.
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| Total Gram Panchayats covered | 11,682 |
| Phase-I upgradation (linear → ring) | 4,048 |
| Phase-II coverage | 5,964 |
| New Gram Panchayats included | 1,670 |
| Villages to be connected on demand | 8,328 |
Expected citizen-level benefits
Government funding under this agreement is expected to facilitate more than three lakh rural home fibre connections with financial support from the Centre. The upgraded broadband infrastructure is intended to improve access to digital services across rural and remote areas of the state, including e-Governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and other citizen-centric services.
- Enhanced network resilience through ring topology in key Gram Panchayats.
- Expanded last-mile connectivity to thousands of villages on demand.
- Provisioning of over 3 lakh home fibre connections with government support.
What it means for users and local administrations
For residents, especially in remote gram panchayats, the ABP promises more reliable broadband and potential access to services that rely on steady internet—telemedicine consultations, remote learning and digital payments among them. For local administrations, the ring topology upgrade is aimed at reducing service outages by providing alternate traffic routes when a link fails.
Implementation through a state-led vehicle, CSBIL, with operational involvement from BSNL and CHiPS, indicates a blended approach of public sector infrastructure ownership and state administrative oversight—a model the DoT has been using to accelerate coverage where private-sector incentive is limited.
Implementation and next steps
The agreement at Sanchar Bhawan is being presented by officials as a step towards expediting execution of the ABP in Chhattisgarh. Officials say project rollout will involve physical network upgrades, fibre laying for last-mile access, and coordination with local bodies for demand aggregation and subscriber onboarding. Detailed implementation timelines and tendering or procurement plans were not disclosed in the signing statement.
Observers note that actual benefits for end-users will depend on timely execution, quality of work, and follow-through on home connection schemes. As with prior rounds of BharatNet, coordination among state agencies, the implementing agency and service providers will be critical to convert backbone and Gram Panchayat connectivity into household-level broadband subscriptions.
City: New Delhi
