(a) the details of Gram Panchayats in Chhattisgarh, location-wise, where STD/ISD/Internet and fax facilities have been provided during the year 2005-2006 and likey to be provided during the year 2006-07; and
(b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DR. SHAKEEL AHMAD)
(a) This Department maintains data in respect of villages covered by rural telephony. District-wise number of Village Public Telephones (VPTs), where STD facilities have been provided during the year 2005-06 and likely to be provided with these facilities during 2006-07 is given in the Annexure.
ISD facility is provided on request from custodians of VPTs. For Internet, custodian has to provide his own equipment and can obtain Internet connection from Internet Service Provider (ISP). Similarly for Fax also, the custodian has to provide his own personal computer/Fax equipment, as the case may be.
(b) Village Public Telephones (VPTs) shall be provided progressively by November, 2007 in all the remaining unconnected 5,013 villages in Chhattisgarh. This excludes villages having population less than 100 and lying in thick forests/naxalite infested areas etc.
State of the art wireless technologies are also being deployed for increased access for rural areas.