Stalin inaugurates OFC laying work for Bharatnet project

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday inaugurated the Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) laying work for the implementation of Rs 1,627.83 crore Bharatnet project in the State.

Stalin inaugurated cable laying work at Muthalakurichi village panchayat in Thakkalai panchayat union in Kanniyakumari district from the State Secretariat. The Bharatnet project implemented through TANFINET, a special purpose vehicle launched by the state government, aims to provide high speed internet connectivity upto 1 Gbps speed to 12,525 village panchayats in the State.

The project would facilitate provision of digital services, e-education, telemedicine and triple play services (telephone, television and internet) to the people at low cost. Provision of high speed internet connectivity to government offices, schools, colleges and industrial establishments would facilitate quick delivery of various government schemes to the rural people and create more rural jobs that would lift the rural economy, an official statement issued by the State government on Thursday said.

The scheme would bridge the IT capacity gap between the rural and urban areas in the State. State IT minister T Mano Thangaraj, Chief Secretary V Iraianbu and State IT secretary Neeraj Mittal were present during the launch of the OFC laying works.

The State has been been divided into four categories (A, B, C and D) with Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Chengalpattu, Chennai (NOC), Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai brought under category A for the project implementation.

Cuddalore, Airyalur, Perambalur, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi ,Salem, Erode, Salem, The Nilgiris and Villupuram have been classified under category B, while Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Karur, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Tiruchy and Mayiladuthurai have been brought under category C. Kanykumari, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Virudhu Nagar, Tenkasi, Dindigul and Sivagangai have been clustered under category D.

The project was mired in controversies during the previous AIADMK regime with the project tenders cancelled at least once following complaints of alleged irregularities.

Are you in Chennai? Then click here to get our newspaper at your doorstep!