Union minister of state for communications and information technology Sachin Pilot said the UPA government had taken a decision to ensure that every panchayat in the country will be equipped with high speed broadband internet access by 2012.
“We will provide optical fibre cable connection to all panchayats across the country as connectivity is the important component to ensure quality in process of development,” he said during a function at Puducherr
“India’s success in the IT sector was feasible because of the youth. We have also managed to make this mark of being a super power even though only eight per cent of the people in the country use Internet,” he said.
The Minister further added that there would be a paradigm shift soon if a larger number of population has access to the Internet.
“The government wants to grant financial and electronic empowerment and as part of this mission each of the panchayats would be provided high speed broadband access,” Pilot said.
“Creation of infrastructure in the 21st century is a big challenge and this will be met successfully and it would be an unmatched infrastructure,” he added.
Inaugurating the modernised post offices of Villianoor and Tirukanoor – Puducherry, Pilot said the government had committed to modernising and networking all the 1.55 lakh post offices across the country by 2012 at a cost of Rs1,800 crore under ‘Project Arrow’ programme of the Department of Posts.
“Times have changed from inland letters and postcards. People demand several IT based facilities and electronic mails. The UPA government is keen to ensure better services and realise its goal of inclusive growth and equitable distribution,” he said.