Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary reviews progress of 4G saturation and BharatNet projects

SRINAGAR, June 20, 2026 — Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired the 11th meeting of the State Broadband Committee to review the execution of key digital connectivity initiatives aimed at expanding high-speed internet and telecom services across Jammu and Kashmir.

To eliminate connectivity gaps in far-flung and uncovered habitations, the Chief Secretary directed all Deputy Commissioners to expedite pending telecom tower site clearances on a fast-track basis and instructed the Information Technology Department to secure weekly progress reports on land transfers. He emphasized that all uncovered areas must be included in updated deployment plans drawn up by the Department of Telecommunications and BSNL to ensure no village remains offline, while concurrently directing the Power Development Department to guarantee timely electricity connections to all feasible tower locations.

During the high-level meeting, Information Technology Commissioner Secretary Saurabh Bhagat and the BSNL Chief General Manager reported substantial progress on the central government’s flagship 4G Saturation Project, revealing that 566 out of 847 planned mobile tower sites are already operational. Work orders have been issued for 775 sites, with BSNL targeted to finalize the current phase by December 31, 2026, a massive developmental push that has already extended mobile network coverage to 1,402 out of 1,419 identified border villages.

Furthermore, the committee evaluated the Amended BharatNet Programme, which spans 285 blocks and 4,299 Gram Panchayats. With physical surveys finished in 2,401 Gram Panchayats and 744 kilometers of optical fiber cable already laid, the Chief Secretary directed local authorities to leverage local village entrepreneurs to expand reliable fiber-to-the-home broadband connections across rural communities.