Question : Post Offices Connected with internet

(a) the details of the number of rural post offices connected with internet or linked electronically, State-wise including district-wise details for Rajasthan;

(b) the details of the number of electronic transactions occur with regards to e-governance or in Government backed schemes, State-wise including district-wise details for Rajasthan;

(c) the details of the number of rural areas which have been connected with optical fibre cables, State-wise including district-wise details for Rajasthan along with the details of the number of Common Service Centres established so far;

(d) whether the Government imparts training in usage of such internet and Wi-Fi technologies to the people in rural areas and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government is taking any step to increase the speed of internet and Wi-Fi connections in rural areas and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to integrate small and medium scale industries with internet, Wi-Fi services and e-governance services?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
(SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) There are 1,28,095 rural Branch Post offices connected with internet, out of which 8,976 Branch Post Offices are in Rajasthan. State-wise details of number of rural post offices connected with internet including district-wise details for Rajasthan are enclosed as Annexure I(a) and I(b) respectively.

(b) State-wise detail of number of electronic transactions with respect to e- governance including Rajasthan is enclosed as Annexure II.

(c) Details of the number of rural areas which have been connected with optical fibre cables, State-wise including district-wise details for Rajasthan, are enclosed as Annexure III (a) and III (b) respectively. As on April 2022, total 5,17,868 CSCs are operational across all States & Union Territories of the country, out of which, total 4,09,665 CSCs are operational at Gram Panchayat (GP) level.

(d) The Government of India has approved a scheme titled “Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)” to usher in digital literacy in rural India. It is being implemented as a Central Sector Scheme by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology through an implementing agency namely CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, with active collaboration of all the State Governments and UT Administrations.

(e) The BharatNet project is implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) of the country. As on 04.07.2022, total 1,77,550 GPs have been made Service Ready under the BharatNet project in the country. The infrastructure created under BharatNet project is a national asset, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis to the Service Providers, and the same can be utilized to provide connectivity for providing broadband services including Wi-Fi Hotspots. Mobile/Broadband/Internet services are provided in a phased manner by the Government and Telecom Services Provider (TSPs) in the uncovered villages of the country. The Government, with funding from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), has schemes namely Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for North Eastern Region, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Area schemes, Aspirational Districts Schemes, Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for Islands, etc. to extend mobile connectivity through setting up of towers in the uncovered villages of the country

(f) The Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) is carrying out several digital initiatives for MSMEs, such as Udyam registration, online application for implementation of schemes of MoMSME, digital empowerment of MSMEs, e-Marketing through GeM, MSME Samadhaan for delayed payment monitoring system, etc.