Vijay Baghel Questions Internet Access in Villages, Scindia Outlines Plans

The question in Parliament by Vijay Baghel 

During a recent Parliament session, BJP MP from Durg, Vijay Baghel, raised a critical question about internet connectivity in his constituency’s villages. He pointed out that while 60% of the villages in the Durg Lok Sabha constituency have internet access, the remaining 40% still lack this essential facility. Baghel emphasized the challenges faced in implementing central and state schemes, such as Anganwadi and Rozgar Sahayak of Women and Child Development, due to inadequate internet connectivity. He called for a new agency to be appointed for regular monitoring and maintenance of the internet services and inquired about the timeline for connecting all gram panchayats to the internet.

Union Minister Scindia’s Response

In response, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured that under the Digital India initiative, all gram panchayats in Chhattisgarh would soon be connected to the internet. He revealed that the Government of India has prepared a comprehensive plan worth ₹1.29 lakh crore to connect 1.64 lakh gram panchayats across the country under the Amendment Bharat Net Scheme. Scindia criticized the previous Congress government for failing to establish internet connectivity in Chhattisgarh.

Progress and Plans

Scindia highlighted that during Bharat Net Phase-1 and Phase-2, 2.12 lakh out of 3.80 lakh gram panchayats have been connected. The remaining gram panchayats are expected to be connected soon. He emphasized that under the Modi government’s vision of Digital India, significant progress has been made, with 57% of India’s population now having internet access.

Achievements Under Digital India

Further detailing the achievements, Scindia mentioned that India now boasts 117 crore mobile connections, with the internet reaching 90 to 93 crore people. High-speed internet connectivity of 107 Mbps is available, making data significantly cheaper. He contrasted this with the Congress era when internet services were poor and expensive. Today, data costs have drastically reduced from ₹270 per GB to just ₹9.12, thanks to the efforts under Digital India.

The ongoing efforts to enhance internet connectivity in rural areas reflect a broader initiative to improve digital infrastructure across India. As the government works towards connecting all gram panchayats, it aims to ensure that citizens in rural areas have better access to digital resources and services, facilitating the implementation of various developmental schemes.

Image source: Internet

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