Digital Bharat Nidhi Signs BharatNet Agreement with Chhattisgarh

Digital Bharat Nidhi, functioning under the Department of Telecommunications, signed an agreement with the Government of Chhattisgarh on 18 August 2026 for the Amended BharatNet Programme under the State-led model. The agreement was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi and involved Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Government of Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh State BharatNet Infrastructure Limited, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, and Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society.

Amended BharatNet Programme

The BharatNet Programme is a national broadband connectivity project for Gram Panchayats in India. The Amended BharatNet Programme uses a State-led implementation model in which the State government and designated agencies execute the network rollout and related infrastructure work.

Project Coverage in Chhattisgarh

The project in Chhattisgarh covers 11,682 Gram Panchayats. This includes the upgradation of 4,048 Phase I Gram Panchayats from linear topology to ring topology, 5,964 Phase II Gram Panchayats, and 1,670 newly created Gram Panchayats.

The agreement also provides for on-demand high-speed broadband access to 8,328 villages across the State. The network expansion uses high-speed optical fibre infrastructure for rural connectivity.

Funding and Implementing Agencies

The Central Government approved financial support of Rs 3,942 crore for the rollout in Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh State BharatNet Infrastructure Limited and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited are among the institutions associated with implementation.

Important Facts for Exams

• Digital Bharat Nidhi operates under the Department of Telecommunications.
• BharatNet is a national programme for broadband connectivity in rural India.
• Ring topology is a network design in which nodes are connected in a closed loop.
• Gram Panchayat is the basic unit of rural local self-government in India.

Rural Digital Services

The project is projected to support more than three lakh rural home fibre connections in Chhattisgarh. The stated service areas include telemedicine, digital payments, e-governance, and online education.