More than 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats connected through broadband service with BharatNet Project

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Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil informed Loksabha today that the Government has been implementing eGramSwaraj under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project, as a part of Digital India Program, in the country to revamp the functioning of Panchayats. eGramSwaraj addresses various aspects of Panchayat functioning viz. planning, accounting, budgeting including online payments through eGramSwaraj-PFMS Interface for services delivered.

As on date, 2,53,716 Gram Panchayat Development Plans for FY 2021-22 have been prepared. 2,25,153 GPs have adopted eGramSwaraj for the purpose of accounting in the current year 2021-22. Further, 2,24,671 Panchayati Raj Institutions have onboarded eGramSwaraj-PFMS Interface for carrying out online transactions. During 2020-21, 1,54,091 Gram Panchayats have done online payments worth cumulative of Rs. 48,299 crores (including all the onboarded schemes) through eGramSwaraj- PFMS Interface. For the current year, 2021-22, 1,09,565 Panchayati Raj Institutions have carried online payments worth Rs. 7,699 crores.

BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner by Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats and equivalent in the country. As on 16.07.2021, a total number of 1,58,266 GPs (including Block Head Quarters) have been made Service Ready in the country.

Due to the COVID-19 related lockdown and restrictions the targeted date for the completion of the project is extended to August 2023 from August 2021.