PATNA: Union electronics and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said around 45,000 villages in state would be connected through optical fibres to provide high-speed internet connectivity under the central government’s Bharatnet project.
Prasad said the ambitious Rs1,000-crore project would start from Bihar soon. “PM Narendra Modi had made an announcement to provide high-speed internet connectivity to gram panchayats through optical fibres during his address on the Independence Day,” he said.
Now, the central government has decided to provide high-speed internet connectivity to around six lakh villages as well, the IT minister said, adding it was a matter of great pride for him that the project would be launched from Bihar soon. Prasad is an MP from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.
Referring to the provisions for Bihar in the Union Budget, the minister said, “There is an allocation of about Rs.5,150 crore for Bihar in the Union Budget for railways for fiscal 2021-22. Moreover, 87 new projects worth Rs 78,000 crore are underway in the state.”
Prasad said there has been a hike of around 355% in budget allocation for Bihar when compared to period between 2009 and 2014. “During 2009-14, the allocation for railways for Bihar was only Rs 1,132 crore,” he claimed.
He said around Rs 3,061 crore was allocated to Bihar by the Centre every year for railway projects during 2014-19.
The minister said the smartphone users in the country would soon avail the facility of Indian languages, including regional ones, as work on the project was under way.