National Optic Fiber Network (NOFN) is to be installed by
the Government Company BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Limited). BBNL was
established on 25.2.2012 with 99.99% owned by Government of India and the
remaining 0.01% held by the PSUs BSNL, PGCIL (Power Grid Corporation of India
Limited) and Rail Tel (Rail Tel Corporation of India owned by Railway
Department). It is established for extending the optic fiber cable from block
level to all the 2, 50, 000 village Panchayats. The target fixed is to provide
OFC for 50,000 village Panchayats by March 2015, and 1, 00,000 by March 2016
and remaining 1, 00,000 by December 2016.
The work of laying the OFC from block level to village Panchayats
was given on contract by BBNL to the 3 PSUs BSNL, PGCIL and Rail Tel. 70% of
this work is handed over to BSNL. The cost of this project is estimated as Rs
30,000 crores and the funds will be provided from USO Fund (Universal Services
obligation Fund). In AP Circle, the work is given to PGCIL.
The aim of providing optic fiber cable to all village Panchayats
is to provide high speed broadband services to villages so that the villagers
can get all their required certificates/documents from the internet without
going to Government offices and also to have online education, health,
marketing and other facilities. BBNL will provide the bandwidth on non-discrimination
basis to any operator, for providing broadband connections and serving the villagers.
After Modi becoming PM, the private operators like
Vodafone, Aircel etc started pressurizing the Government to handover a part of
the NOFN work to them, in the name of quick implementation of the project. Modi
Government has appointed an expert panel
to recommend fast tracking the NOFN project by roping in private operators. The
panel is likely to submit its report in March 2015.
Thus Modi Government is tilting towards handing over the
OF cable laying work to private operators by taking away some work allotted to
BSNL, Railtel and PGCIL. While the BSNL Unions Forum is demanding for merger of
BBNL with BSNL, the Modi Government is doing the opposite and going forward to
involve the private operators in laying the OF cable for BBNL. This is how Modi Government is more
pro-corporate and anti people than earlier UPA Government.
కామెంట్లు లేవు:
కామెంట్ను పోస్ట్ చేయండి