Gandhinagar: The Government of India and the Gujarat government signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Wednesday, under which Gujarat’s science and technology department will receive Rs 6,000 crore in funding from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) as part of the Central government’s revised BharatNet program.

This MoC was formalized during the India Mobile Congress at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gujarat Minister of State for Education Praful Pansheriya, and Principal Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Mona Khandhar.

An official statement stated that the Department of Science and Technology of the state government has submitted a one-time capital expenditure (CapEx) plan for ten years, along with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for ₹6,000 crore to the central government under the revised Bharat Net program. This elaborate DPR includes enhancing signal strength through fibre connectivity for remote towers, establishing fibre connections for field offices to facilitate effective grassroots governance, and implementing extensive fibre-to-family initiatives, all under a state-led network design with a multi-dimensional approach. The project aims to generate new employment opportunities by providing fibre connections to financial enterprises, thereby unlocking the potential of the rural economy.

The statement also mentioned that over 320 services are currently available at more than 14,000 e-Gram centres, and with BharatNet phase-3, the remaining centres will get hybrid internet connectivity with 98% uptime assurance. BharatNet phase-2 has already connected 7,400 schools, 600 health centres, 300 police posts, GIDC areas, tourist spots, and exhibition centres across 50 locations. DeshGujarat