AP govt signs pact with Centre for BharatNet rollout

Vijayawada: In a significant step towards strengthening digital connectivity in rural areas, the state govt signed an agreement with the Centre. The initiative aims to expand high-speed internet access across villages and ensure seamless broadband connectivity to rural households under the Amended BharatNet Project (ABP).The project targets providing fibre connections to nearly 5 lakh rural homes. To facilitate implementation of ABP in Andhra Pradesh, the Central govt agreed to release funds to the tune of Rs 2,432 crore. The State govt constituted a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (APBIL) to execute the project effectively. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between Digital Bharat Nidhi and the AP govt in the presence of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union minister of state Pemmassani Chandrasekhar, and state minister BC Janardhan Reddy. The MoC was formally signed by Digital Bharat Nidhi administrator Shyamal Mishra and special chief secretary of the state infrastructure department, MT Krishna Babu. The agreement focuses on strengthening digital infrastructure in rural areas and providing broadband connectivity to gram panchayats. The State govt assured full cooperation in granting right of way permissions, facilitating infrastructure support, and ensuring coordination at the field level. Plans are underway to implement the project across 13,426 gram panchayats in the state. This includes upgrading networks in 1,692 panchayats in Phase I, completing digital connectivity in 11,254 villages in Phase II, and extending connectivity to 480 newly formed gram panchayats. Additionally, the govt is focusing on enhancing last-mile connectivity in 3,942 villages based on demand. Through expanded digital connectivity, the govt aims to strengthen digital governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments, and e-governance services across rural Andhra Pradesh.