Parliament Question: BharatNet Phase-III Project in Kangra and Chamba

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4189 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TH MARCH, 2026 BHARATNET PHASE-III PROJECT IN KANGRA AND CHAMBA †4189. DR. RAJEEV BHARADWAJ: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the BharatNet Phase-III project is operational in Kangra and Chamba districts; (b) if so, the details thereof; and (c) the number of Gram Panchayats likely to be covered by the high-speed broadband network in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR) (a) to (c) Government has approved the Amended BharatNet Program (Phase-III) for providing high-speed broadband connectivity to all 3,615 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in Himachal Pradesh, including those in Kangra and Chamba districts. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been designated as the Project Management Agency (PMA) for implementation of the program in the State. BSNL has appointed M/s ITI Limited as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for execution of the project in Himachal Pradesh. The implementation of the Amended BharatNet Program has since been rolled out in the State. ***** 1