Panchayats To Get High-Speed Broadband Facility For Faster Services, Says Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: In order to bridge the differences in telecom facilities between urban and rural areas in Odisha, the state government has decided to extend high-speed broadband services in all panchayats.

This was stated by Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Tusharkanti Behera while speaking at a press conference in Bhubaneswar on allocation for his department in the state budget 2023-24. “In order to streamline the video-conferencing facility in government institutions at panchayat level, 1 GBPS high bandwidth will be provided to each panchayat office in the state. It would facilitate broadband facility in schools, hospitals and other institutions catering to emergency services,” he said.

On other initiatives of the department, the minister said the number of services provided in Odisha One portal will be increased from the present 550 to 650. Besides, steps are being taken to introduce Mo Seva Kendra at panchayat level, he added.

Moreover, Budget allocation of Rs 19.75 crore has been made to strengthen digital services through OSWAS, which is only such platform among the states, he said adding that the government was planning to set up a cable landing station in the sea off Puri coast. With establishment of the centre, data transmission, entertainment, broadcasting and fintech can be strengthened and Odisha can emerge as the digital hub in eastern, central and north-eastern India, he added.