Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab Punjab bags honour of being first state to implement Bharat Net Scheme To lead towards ushering Broadband revolution in rural areas: KAP Sinha CS KAP Sinha receives award from BSNL CGM Chandigarh, November 10: Adding another feather in the cap in terms of optimizing the usage of communication technologies, Punjab has bagged the honour of becoming the first State in the country to implement the amended Bharat Net Scheme throughout the State. The award duly amplifies the strides made by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government in the technology sphere. The Chief Secretary, Punjab, KAP Sinha today received the award from CGM BSNL Punjab Circle Ajay Kumar Kararha in Chandigarh. Terming the award as a testament to the ever expanding base of the Punjab State on the technological horizon, KAP Sinha said that internet and broadband services have been provided in the 43 shadow areas in the State with only one village remaining. By the end of November month, each and every village would be brought under the ambit of the scheme. Noting that the novel initiative would usher in a broadband revolution in the rural areas, the Chief Secretary added that it would be a giant step forward in giving impetus to the good governance roadmap of the Punjab Government. Now, the villages would become part of a one big digital family with easy access to various government services. Notably, the Bharat Net Scheme aims to provide broadband connectivity to all of country's Gram Panchayats besides the households and the institutions. It also envisions e - health & e - governance services in rural sectors. The CGM, BSNL informed the Chief Secretary, Punjab that under Amended Bharat Net Project. BSNL Punjab is the first state in India where S-NOC is functional, which can be monitored live from any location in the country. Punjab State has started roll out of Amended Bharat Net Project. This project was started from Harsha Chinna block of Amritsar. With the active support and coordination extended by various State Govt. Agencies and district level officers, at present 1000 kms of HDD and around 400 kms. Of OFC has been laid in 22 blocks of Punjab. This became possible only because of coordination meeting held under the Joint Chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Punjab and Secretary Telecom, Govt. Of India in the month of June 2025. Chief Secretary was also requested to consider the BSNL on nomination basis for various State Govt. Projects under the State Disaster Management programme. The CGM, BSNL also apprised the Chief Secretary that village Ramkalwan, one of the remotest border villages located near the Indo- Pak Border in Pathankot District of Punjab has been provided wi-fi connectivity by BSNL using the Vidya Mitram scheme of BSNL. The Sarpanch of village approached BSNL for making village wi-fi connected. CGMT also requested Chief Secretary, Punjab to encourage Panchayats across Punjab for similar support.