Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Mar: The ninth meeting of the State Broadband Committee was held at the Secretariat today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary (CS) Anand Bardhan. During the meeting, various issues related to internet connectivity across the state were discussed and necessary directions were issued to departments concerned.
During the meeting, the CS directed that connectivity in remote and inaccessible areas be ensured at the earliest through fibre cable and Wi-Fi solutions instead of relying solely on road connectivity for transporting 4G equipment. He emphasised that, in regions where road access is not available, alternative methods should be explored and implemented to provide seamless connectivity.
He further instructed that all the Panchayat Bhawans be saturated with BharatNet connectivity at the earliest. He also directed that the State Government’s Right of Way (RoW) portal be handled by ITDA and that all departments involved in laying underground infrastructure, including those related to drinking water, electricity, gas and communications, should integrate their systems with the RoW portal without delay.
The Chief Secretary stated that monthly progress reports on connectivity saturation be submitted regularly to the Secretary, Information Technology. He also instructed all departments to expedite street mapping work and to ensure that any issues arising in connectivity-related projects are promptly resolved in coordination with the concerned secretaries. He stressed that district-level committee meetings must be held within the stipulated time frame and that all activities should be closely monitored through regular reporting.
On the issue of BharatNet connectivity in panchayat buildings, he directed that in locations where such buildings are under construction, alternative arrangements should be made by providing temporary connectivity in nearby government buildings such as primary schools or anganwadi centres. He also called for expediting construction and repair works of panchayat buildings across the state.
Addressing concerns related to telecom services, Bardhan instructed all the telecom companies to resolve call drop issues even in urban areas. He directed that black spots with persistent call drops be identified across the state and rectified. He further emphasised that during the upcoming travel season, connectivity along all major routes must be ensured by installing temporary mobile towers until permanent infrastructure is established.
Among those present on the occasion were Secretaries Nitesh Kumar Jha and C Ravishankar, the officials from the Department of Telecommunications, representatives of BSNL, private mobile network service providers and members of the Towers and Infrastructure Providers Association.
