J&K’s Over 300 Remote Villages To Get High Speed Internet Service

Jammu, Sep 2: To make high speed internet service accessible to the people of around 300 remote villages across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the administration has transferred large chunk of land at separate locations to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the installation of the towers.
Official sources said that high speed internet service will soon reach every household in Jammu and Kashmir including the remote villages of hilly and border belts.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Department has transferred 37 kanals of land to the BSNL to ensure 4G mobile network for which necessary guidelines have also been issued,” they said.
Sources said that the Revenue Department has been asked to allot the land free of cost to the BSNL—the government owned organisation.
“More than 300 villages are inaccessible to the high speed internet but the service will soon be made available to them as soon as the installation of towers commences,” they added.
“The 37 kanals of land has been allotted at around 100 identified places in parts of Jammu and Kashmir for the installation of towers,” said an official.
He added that the land has been given to the BSNL as per a decision taken earlier in the meeting of the State Administrative Council and the executing agency can now prepare its infrastructural facilities on the land with the permission of the concerned departments and by completing the necessary formalities.
He added that the telecom operator has to comply with all the provisions of the law relating to Revenue, Forest, J&K Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act, 2010, Housing and Urban Development Department and Jal Shakti Department.
“They also have to comply with the relevant orders of Jammu and Kashmir or any other competent court, if any, regarding the use of the land,” he added.
The official added that the land has been provided free of cost, adding, “under the scheme to ensure uninterrupted connectivity under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), over 300 villages will be covered.
“After this, no settlement or area in Jammu and Kashmir will remain without internet connectivity,” he said.
Confirming about the transfer of land, Secretary Revenue, Dr Piyush Singla said, “The land has been transferred to the BSNL for installation of towers in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir where high speed internet is inaccessible.” (Agencies)