Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of different stakeholders to take stock of the works started for bringing the uncovered villages under 4G network coverage.
Those who attended included Principal Secretary, IT and Finance Departments; Principal Secretary, PDD; Principal Secretary, APD and Forest Departments; Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD; Secretary, R&B; Secretary, RDD; Addl DG, BSNL; CGM, BSNL; MD, JPDCL/KPDCL and other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary took this occasion to emphasise on the implementing agency to make all the towers go on air that had been erected so far. He urged them that the local administration would extend every possible assistance in terms of seeking the necessary NoCs besides provisioning of amenities like electricity to the sites of these towers.
He directed the Power Development Department to take measures for making the electric connections available to the telecom service providers as soon as they complete the work on the installation of towers there.
Dulloo also enjoined upon the BSNL to reconcile the figures about the untraceable/uninhabited villages with the Revenue Department so that no habitation remains shadow area at the culmination of this scheme.
The CGM, BSNL informed the meeting that out 852 sites proposed by BSNL, land at 722 sites were given by the Revenue Department. He further made out that civil work was started at 593 sites with tower installation completed at 415 locations.
It was further added that 306 towers had been made functional and the works for 99 more towers is currently under progress. The status of forest clearances and power connections were discussed and the TSP directed to complete the work within the set timeframe.
Later, the Chief Secretary, while reviewing the status of Bharat Net for providing broadband services to Gram Panchayats, stressed on the executing agency to apprise the local administration about the functioning of the internet connectivity in each GP besides the usage in terms of data consumption registered by these Panchayats.
He advised the Department to evolve a mechanism with private players who would use this network to provide services to the villagers along with fetching some revenue to government simultaneously. He asked to give the timeline for completing the 2nd phase of this programme.
It was given out that under phase first 427 GPs were connected through OFC in J&K. Under phase 2nd, it was added, that 692 more Panchayats would be covered through VSAT.
The meeting also discussed the issue of power connections, watch & ward, infrastructure upgradation in certain panchayat buildings so that the establishment of this facility becomes more beneficial to public there.