Jaipur, Sep 18 (IANS) The 18th meeting of the State Broadband Committee was held on Friday at the Government Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary V. Srinivas.
The meeting reviewed the strengthening of digital infrastructure across Rajasthan, reforms under the Central government’s Special Assistance Scheme for Capital Investment (2026-27), implementation of the Telecom Right of Way (RoW) Rules-2024, and progress under the 4G Saturation Project.
Chief Secretary Srinivas said that ensuring access to digital services and reliable high-speed internet connectivity in remote, tribal and international border villages, including Vibrant Villages, is a top priority of the state government.
He stressed that people should not be deprived of the benefits of government schemes and digital services because of inadequate connectivity.
The Chief Secretary directed all urban local bodies, corporations and public sector undertakings in the state to mandatorily adopt the new RoW Rules-2024, effective from January 1, 2025, by September 30.
It was told during the meeting that seven key departments have already been integrated with the State RoW portal.
The Chief Secretary directed that integration of the remaining departments and entities be completed at the earliest.
He also directed that the offline application system be discontinued completely and that all RoW-related applications and processes be handled transparently through the State RoW portal.
The meeting was told that 100 per cent of pending RoW applications up to March 31, 2026, have been disposed of under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance’s Special Assistance Scheme.
The Chief Secretary expressed satisfaction that the average disposal time for RoW permissions has remained below 45 days and is currently around 32 days.
He directed officials to complete the remaining formalities, including execution of the revised BharatNet project addendum and timely implementation of the Common Application Form and consolidated billing system by the Energy Department, so that Rajasthan can avail the full Rs 150 crore incentive under the scheme.
Reviewing the 4G Saturation Project being implemented with the support of the Department of Telecommunications, the Chief Secretary directed District Collectors to personally monitor and expedite the allotment of revenue land for mobile towers wherever cases are pending.
He particularly reviewed pending matters in Udaipur, Bikaner, Barmer and Jaisalmer and directed that these be resolved on priority.
The Chief Secretary also stressed that villages in border districts that remain uncovered by mobile connectivity, particularly in Barmer and Sri Ganganagar, should be connected on the highest priority.
He directed departments to adopt a positive and practical approach towards issues raised by telecom service providers.
He asked officials to examine the possibility of refunding processing fees in cases where applications are rejected by local bodies and to streamline smart-metering and group-billing processes.
He also directed that unilateral restrictions on mobile tower installations should not be imposed on the basis of unsubstantiated complaints or without providing a proper opportunity for a hearing.
Such cases, he said, should be resolved at the District Collector level in accordance with the applicable RoW rules and guidelines.
The Chief Secretary also directed that charges for using Smart City ducts and laying cables in municipal areas should be practical and standardised to ensure optimal utilisation of existing digital infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by Ravi Kumar Surpur, Department of Information Technology and Communication Secretary; Himanshu Gupta, Department of Information Technology and Communication Commissioner, and representatives of the Department of Telecommunications.
Officials from the Energy Department, Panchayati Raj Department, Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, Rajasthan Housing Board, Rajasthan Transport Department, Rajasthan Police Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. and Revenue Department also participated.
Office-bearers of the Cellular Operators Association of India and the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association joined the meeting through video conference.
–IANS
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