Latest news with #AmendedBharatNetProgramme
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Chandrababu Naidu launches Drone Mart Portal to ensure access to all
VIJAYAWADA: In a major push toward technological inclusion, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday launched the AP Drone Mart Portal at the Secretariat, aiming to make drone services accessible to citizens across Andhra Pradesh. Developed by the AP Drone Corporation, the portal connects drone service providers with users, especially farmers, for tasks such as pesticide spraying, crop monitoring, and land surveys. It also supports services in infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, security, and mapping. Customers can directly negotiate charges with service providers through the portal, ensuring flexibility, affordability, and transparency. The platform integrates government departments, private agencies, and drone operators to streamline access and boost the adoption of drone technology. 'Ensuring drone services are available at reasonable prices will boost their adoption,' Naidu said, emphasising the government's commitment to bringing cutting-edge solutions to public service delivery. Officials present at the launch included Chief Secretary Vijayanand, IT Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar, and other senior officials. The chief minister urged departments to expand the portal's services to benefit more sectors and strengthen Andhra Pradesh's tech-driven governance model. FiberNet's revival on cards, 10 lakh connections targeted Alongside3 the drone initiative, Chief Minister Naidu also announced an ambitious plan to revive the Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet, a flagship digital connectivity project from his previous term. In a review meeting held at the Secretariat, Naidu blamed the previous YSRCP government for mismanaging the project, citing a drop in active connections from 8.7 lakh in 2019 to 4.5 lakh by 2025. He alleged misuse of funds, unjustified staff expansion from 130 to 1,350, and politically motivated appointments. An investigation has been ordered into the irregularities. The government now aims to restore 8–10 lakh connections by leveraging Rs 1,900 crore under the Centre's Amended BharatNet Programme (2025–2035). Upgrades include transitioning 1,692 gram panchayats in Chittoor and Visakhapatnam to ring architecture and connecting 480 new panchayats with Rs 430 crore in funding. A Special Purpose Vehicle will manage implementation. To address service decline and rising subscription costs from Rs 149 to Rs 350, Naidu directed officials to accelerate vendor selection for set-top boxes and explore public-private partnerships for remote connectivity. BSNL will oversee the project under BharatNet norms. Andhra Pradesh, which has already laid 78,355 km of optical fibre, is targeting 2 lakh km. The State allocated Rs 192.5 crore for capital expenditure and Rs 66.76 crore for operations, with Rs 67.14 crore support from BharatNet Phase 2.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Govt to revitalise AP FiberNet
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced a comprehensive plan to restore and revitalise the AP FiberNet project, a flagship initiative that he claimed was 'completely derailed' by the previous government. During a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister approved the crucial integration of AP FiberNet with the national BharatNet programme, specifically under the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP). The FibreNet project was designed to provide affordable triple play services, which include internet, telephone and IPTV. Naidu expressed strong dismay at the project's state, which he described as a 'visionary initiative launched between 2014 and 2019'. He directed officials to immediately assess the challenges, financial constraints, and implement necessary corrective steps and new policy directions. "The system, designed to benefit the public, students, and government departments, was instead exploited for political purposes by the former administration - undermining the very purpose of the initiative," Naidu said. He highlighted a stark decline in connections, noting that while there were 8.70 lakh connections in 2019, the number had plummeted to 4.50 lakh under the YSRCP government. The Chief Minister also criticised the previous administration's staffing policies. "We managed the organisation effectively with just 130 employees and provided over 8 lakh connections. But the YSRCP government created unauthorized posts to accommodate its party workers, expanding the workforce from 130 to 1,350, misusing public funds," he stated. Naidu emphasised the need to reintroduce services like virtual classrooms and called for strengthening the fiber network in rural and underserved areas. Pending issues with local cable operators (LCOs) are to be resolved promptly. An EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor will be appointed to manage both the AP FiberNet and BharatNet networks. BSNL will serve as the project management agency, in line with ABP guidelines, he added. Officials were instructed to prepare an action plan to fully utilise the network's capabilities, to be presented at the next Cabinet meeting. Naidu said that from June 2024 to June 2025, Rs. 192.5 crore has been allocated under capital expenditure and Rs. 66.76 crore under operational expenditure. With FiberNet's integration with BharatNet's ABP, the central government is expected to allocate Rs. 1,900 crore to AP FiberNet from 2025 to 2035. Andhra Pradesh currently leads the nation in village panchayat connectivity, with fibernet services extended to 12,946 panchayats so far. Furthermore, 104 government offices have active fibernet connections. Residential connections are available through five different service packages, and over 21,000 institutions benefit from high-speed broadband. Connectivity has also been extended to 175 telecom towers. The project is currently managed by 442 employees and officers. To date, 78,355 kilometres of fiber optic cable has been laid across the state, with a government target to expand this to a total of 2 lakh kilometres.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
14-Samdani-CM-FIber-Net-Revival
Vijayawada: Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to take swift action to restore and revitalize the AP Fiber Net project. He charged that the previous government had completely derailed the AP Fiber Net project, a visionary initiative launched between 2014 and 2019. Reviewing the progress of AP Fibernet activities here on Monday, the chief minister asked the officials to assess the challenges, financial constraints, necessary corrective steps, and new policy directions. He said that the system, designed to benefit the public, students, and government departments, was exploited for political purposes by the previous govt. He pointed out that while there were 8.70 lakh connections before 2019, was dropped to 4.50 lakh during the YSRCP regime. "We managed the organization effectively with just 130 employees and provided over 8 lakh connections. But the YSRCP government created unauthorized posts to accommodate its party workers, expanding the workforce from 130 to 1,350 and misusing public funds. This was a new form of corruption where party affiliates were placed in government roles and used for political work. The fiber network was no exception. Those responsible must be held accountable. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo A thorough investigation should be conducted into those appointments, and full transparency must be ensured," directed chief minister. He, however, said that steps must be taken to rectify past mistakes and ensure a better future. He instructed that the current 4,53,525 connections be increased to at least 8–10 lakh. The chief minister approved the integration of AP Fiber Net with the BharatNet (Amended BharatNet Programme – ABP). Under this scheme, the Centre will allocate Rs. 1,900 crore to AP Fiber Net from 2025 to 2035. He also approved the transition of fiber networks in 1692 gram panchayats across Chittoor and Visakhapatnam districts from linear to ring architecture. Additionally, 480 new gram panchayats will be connected using the ring model. The Centre will provide Rs. 430 crore for this phase. GFX *A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), jointly managed by the Central and State Governments, to oversee these projects should be created: CM *The selection process for set-top box suppliers be completed immediately and that a revenue-sharing model be developed with Local Cable Operators (LCOs) using new set-top boxes: CM *Reintroduce services like virtual classrooms *Andhra Pradesh currently leads the nation in village panchayat connectivity. *Fiber net services have been extended to 12,946 panchayats so far. *The government aims to expand the network to a total of two lakh km. *Andhra Pradesh leads all Indian states in fiber optic network coverage with 78355km, followed by Maharashtra (50,481 km), Tamil Nadu (49,616 km), Gujarat (35,246 km), and Telangana (29,143 km).
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre, Gujarat govt join hands to bring high-speed internet to all villages under BharatNet programme
New Delhi: In a major boost to rural connectivity , the Centre in partnership with the Gujarat government , on Tuesday, took a big step towards providing high-speed internet access to villages across the state. With a goal of more than 98% service uptime, the amended BharatNet programme will ensure that even the most remote parts of Gujarat have access to reliable digital platforms, helping to improve education, healthcare, livelihoods, and overall quality of life. A quadripartite agreement was signed in Gandhinagar between the Indian government's Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Gujarat government, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited ( BSNL ), and Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited (GFGNL). This agreement hands over all BharatNet-related responsibilities in Gujarat to GFGNL and allows the agency to implement the updated scheme under the Amended BharatNet Programme. This partnership marks a significant milestone for Gujarat, which is the first among eight states to adopt the BharatNet project under the state-led model. The state has already received in-principle approval of Rs 5,631 crore for capital expenditure and 10 years of maintenance support for the project. The project aims to connect all 14,654 gram panchayats and non-gram panchayat villages across Gujarat with fast, stable internet. By building a future-ready digital infrastructure, the initiative is expected to support local communities through improved access to digital services . Government departments will be able to connect with citizens more directly, delivering services tailored to the needs of farmers, women, students and entrepreneurs. The network will also open doors for innovation. With fibre connectivity reaching mobile towers, field offices, families and financial businesses, the programme will boost mobile signals, enable real-time governance, offer household broadband, and support rural fintech and startups. Under the broader Amended BharatNet Programme, the government plans to provide optical fibre connectivity to 2.64 lakh gram panchayats and about 3.8 lakh non-gram panchayat villages across the country. The Union Cabinet had approved the scheme on August 4, 2023, with a total programme cost of Rs 1.39 lakh crore. BSNL will serve as the project management agency, with professional partners executing the work under the "Design, Build, Operate, and Maintain model". The project will ensure high-speed internet with a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps for each Fiber-to-the-Home user. Over the next five years, 1.5 crore rural homes, institutions and enterprises across the country are expected to benefit from this massive digital transformation.
Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Polycab India signs Rs 6,448-cr deal with BSNL for BharatNet project
Polycab India said that it has executed a contract worth Rs 6,447.54 crore with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) to act as the project implementation agency (PIA) for the BharatNet project in Karnataka, Goa, and Puducherry. The agreement, part of package 4 of the Amended BharatNet Programme, covers design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network infrastructure. According to a stock exchange filing, Polycab India has entered into an agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) to act as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for the design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network under BharatNet in the Karnataka, Goa, and Puducherry Telecom Circles. The project, under Package No. 4, is valued at Rs 6,447.54 crores (inclusive of GST), comprising Rs 3,741.92 crores for capital expenditure (Capex), Rs 2,245.15 crores for operating expenses (Opex) for the newly constructed network, and Rs 460.47 crores for Opex of the existing network. The construction is to be completed within three years, followed by a maintenance contract for a period of 10 years. The maintenance cost will be 5.5% per annum of Capex for the first five years, and 6.5% per annum of Capex for the subsequent five years. The firm stated that the promoter/promoter group or group companies have any interest in the entity that awarded the order(s)/contract(s), the company has stated that there is no such interest. Polycab India is the largest manufacturer of wires and cables in India and a fast-growing player in the Fast Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) space. The Group is also in the business of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects. The companys consolidated net profit spiked 32.68% to Rs 734.40 crore on a 24.92% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 6,985.8 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24. Shares of Polycab India rose 0.24% to Rs 6,055.70 on the BSE.
