Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh)— Haryana has achieved a major milestone in rural digital infrastructure expansion, connecting 5,154 out of 6,222 gram panchayats under the BharatNet initiative. Presiding over a State Broadband Committee meeting on Friday, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi reviewed ongoing telecommunication projects, 5G network rollout, and regulatory compliance under the Right of Way (RoW) Rules, 2024. Officials confirmed that 82.84 per cent of local village councils are now integrated into the network, supported by 45,130 operational Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections out of a planned target of 62,220.
The state is actively pursuing key milestones tied to a ₹150 crore performance incentive under Part VI of the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for the 2026–27 fiscal year. Haryana has already cleared all RoW applications that were pending as of March 31, 2026, meeting a crucial milestone eligible for up to ₹22.5 crore in incentives. The remaining components of the financial package cover executive implementation orders for RoW regulations (₹45 crore), state portal enhancements (₹22.5 crore), maintaining application clearance within a 45-day window (₹7.5 crore), BharatNet compliance standards (₹37.5 crore), and power sector utility alignment (₹15 crore).
To streamline approvals, Haryana upgraded its Invest Haryana online portal in line with new RoW guidelines and BharatNet operational protocols. Rastogi directed interdepartmental authorities to ensure all clearance procedures conclude within an average turnaround of 45 days or less. Discussions also centred on securing safe installation spaces for telecommunications equipment in village councils, implementing single-window application forms for power access, adopting consolidated billing mechanisms, and deploying smart meters across telecom towers to support green energy access.
The committee also pushed for greater operational readiness at the grassroots level by proposing mandatory quarterly reviews by district-level telecom committees chaired by deputy commissioners. To prevent accidental disruptions to subterranean fibre and utility lines during excavation works, officials emphasised the mandatory utilization of the ‘Call Before You Dig’ portal, which currently counts 1,204 registered users across various regional government departments. The administration further explored policies enabling the deployment of 5G small cells, rooftop equipment, and aerial fibre lines across state-owned buildings to fortify Haryana’s digital communication landscape.
