RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Rural Wireline Broadband Scheme

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has launched ‘Rural Wireline Broadband Scheme’ for providing broadband connectivity to rural and remote areas, USOF has signed an Agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on January 20, 2009 under the Rural Wireline Broadband Scheme to provide wireline broadband connectivity to rural and broadband by leveraging the existing rural exchanges infrastructure and copper wireline network. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said that The scheme is being implemented at pan-India level. Under this scheme, BSNL will provide 8,88,832 wireline broadband connections to individual users and Government Institutions and will set up 28,672 Kiosks over a period of 5 years, i.e. by 2014. Under this scheme, as of October, 2013, a total of 5,47,328 broadband connections and 12,784 Kiosks have been provided. National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project is planned to connect all Gram Panchayats (approx. 2.5 Lakh) in the country through optical fibre utilizing existing fibers of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) viz. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), RailTel and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and laying incremental fiber wherever necessary to bridge the connectivity gap between Gram Panchayats and Blocks. Non-discriminatory access to the network will be provided to all categories of service providers including broadband service providers. Shri Kapil Sibal informed the House that the roll out obligations of 3G and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) services requires, service provider to provide 3 G and BWA services within the service area as per the conditions of their licence by 2015. It is expected that roll out of 3 G and BWA services in rural areas would lead to a growth in broadband subscription.  North East Rural Livelihood Project North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP) is being implemented in four North Eastern States of Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. NERLP is implemented in Aizawl and Lunglei Districts of Mizoram State, Peren and Tuensang Districts of Nagaland State, South Sikkim, West Sikkim Districts and 15 poorest Panchayat wards of East Sikkim of Sikkim and undivided North and West Districts of Tripura State (now 5 Districts). It will cover three lakh households in 1624 villages in the above mentioned districts. As the objective of NERLP is to improve livelihoods of the poor, especially that of women and the disadvantaged people in the project area, identification of Districts for the project was done by the State Governments based on social and economic backwardness. There is no plan to extend NERLP to other Districts except to the newly carved districts out of the existing 8 districts. However, North East Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas - III, (NERCORMP-III) is sanctioned at the cost of Rs. 540 crore to cover undivided Tirap and Changlang Districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Churachandpur & Chandel Districts of Manipur. As the project has commenced its work recently, it is too early to assess the impact of the project in increasing the per capita income of the Self Help Groups.