The Ministry of Communications announced the signing of a significant agreement for the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Program in Jharkhand under the state-led model. Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications signed the agreement with the Government of Jharkhand, Jharkhand Digital Infrastructure Corporation Limited (JDICL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and Jharkhand Communication Network Limited (JCNL) on September 10, 2026, at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi.
The agreement ceremony was attended by Shri Shyamal Misra, Administrator of Digital Bharat Nidhi; Shri Papa Sudhakara Rao, Director (Enterprise Business) of BSNL; and senior officers from DoT and BSNL. The agreement was formally signed by Shri Dinesh Kumar Garg, DDG (ABP Implementation-I) of Department of Telecommunications, and Mrs. Pooja Singhal, Secretary of Department of IT & e-Gov, Government of Jharkhand.
The Union Cabinet had approved the Amended BharatNet Program on August 4, 2023, with the objective of upgrading, consolidating, and expanding the existing BharatNet network to ensure robust broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand basis. For Jharkhand specifically, the program will be implemented through the newly created special purpose vehicle JDICL and has a total scope covering 4,395 Gram Panchayats. This includes upgrading 4,387 Gram Panchayats from linear to ring topology to enhance network resilience and including 8 newly created Gram Panchayats. Additionally, 26,777 villages will be provided connectivity on a demand basis to strengthen last-mile connectivity.
The Government of India has approved financial support of ₹1,684 crore for the program's implementation in Jharkhand. This initiative is expected to facilitate more than four lakh rural home fibre connections with subsidy support from the Government of India. The enhanced infrastructure will significantly improve delivery of digital services including e-Governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments, and citizen-centric services across rural and remote areas of the state.
Digital Bharat Nidhi, established under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003, and continued under The Telecommunications Act, 2023, has the mandate to support universal service through promoting access and delivery of telecommunication services in underserved rural, remote and urban areas. The BharatNet program is one of its key schemes alongside other initiatives like 4G Saturation Project and mobile services in uncovered areas.