In a major boost to internet connectivity in Bihar, PM Modi today inaugurated an infrastructure project to connect all 45,945 villages across the state of Bihar with Optical Fibre Internet Service.
Improving infrastructure and digital connectivity across Bihar. #NayeBiharKaNirmaan https://t.co/z5MOrl0S5a
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2020
Launching the high-speed internet services project, PM Modi said that the day is not only historic for Bihar, but the entire country as the Government is taking major steps to make its villages the mainstay of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. PM Modi added that in the next 1,000 days six lakh villages across the country will be connected through Optical Fibre Internet Service.
PM Modi spoke at a virtual event, elaborating on the benefits of the high-speed Internet services by stating that it would enable access to best reading material to students, along with access to telemedicine and access to information on seeds, new techniques, nationwide markets to the farmers and equip them with real-time data on weather conditions. Farmers can also easily transport their products all over the country and world, he added.
The Prime Minister said that it was inconceivable a few years ago to imagine that the number of Internet users in India’s rural areas would exceed those in urban areas. He also said that India has become a leading nation across the globe in terms of digital transactions, with the amount transacted through UPI crossing Rs 3 lakh crore mark in August this year.
“With the increased usage of Internet in rural areas, it is important that the villages are powered by good quality and high-speed Internet,” he said. He said that his aim is to provide urban facilities to the rural population of the country.
As per the press release, the project will be completed by combined efforts of Department of Telecom, which has already connected 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across India with optical fibre internet service, along with Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and Common Service Centres(CSC). There are 34,821 CSC centres across the state of Bihar and they will use their workforce, not just for implementing the project, but also for running it professionally to provide Optical Fiber Internet Services for common citizens at every village of Bihar. Bihar will also become the first state to have all its villages connected through optical fibre internet, the press release says.
PM Modi laid foundation stone for 9 new national highway projects in Bihar
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for 9 new national highway projects worth Rs 14,258 crore in poll-bound Bihar. The nine highway projects involve a road length of over 350 kilometres.
Stating that the pace of the construction of highways has doubled since his party came to power in 2014 and expense on it rose to five times since then, Modi said that Rs 110 lakh crore will be spent on infrastructure in the next 4-5 years, with Rs 19 lakh crore earmarked for highway construction alone.
As of now, the construction of national highway grid in Bihar is progressing at breakneck speed, with 5 projects already underway to connect the eastern and western parts of the state through the four-lane highway. Modi also added that all the rivers in the state will have bridges in accordance with the 21st-century specifications and all major national highways will be widened and strengthened.
