Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas on Friday, 18 September 2026, directed that high-speed internet connectivity in remote, tribal, and international border villages — including Vibrant Villages — be treated as the state government's top priority, at the 18th meeting of the State Broadband Committee held at the Government Secretariat, Jaipur. The review covered digital infrastructure strengthening, the Telecom Right of Way (RoW) Rules-2024, the 4G Saturation Project, and reforms under the Centre's Special Assistance Scheme for Capital Investment (2026-27).

Border and Remote Areas in Focus

Chief Secretary Srinivas underlined that residents of remote and border villages must not be left behind due to inadequate connectivity. He specifically flagged pending mobile coverage gaps in border districts, directing that villages in Barmer and Sri Ganganagar that remain without mobile connectivity be connected on the highest priority. He also reviewed pending tower-related cases in Udaipur, Bikaner, Barmer, and Jaisalmer, asking officials to resolve them urgently.

RoW Rules Compliance and Portal Integration

The Chief Secretary directed all urban local bodies, corporations, and public sector undertakings in the state to mandatorily comply with the RoW Rules-2024, effective from 1 January 2025, by 30 September 2026. Officials informed the meeting that seven key departments have already been integrated with the State RoW portal, with integration of the remaining departments to be completed at the earliest. Srinivas also directed the discontinuation of the offline application system, requiring all RoW-related applications to be processed through the State RoW portal for greater transparency.

Notably, he directed that unilateral restrictions on mobile tower installations should not be imposed on the basis of unsubstantiated complaints or without a proper hearing. Such disputes, he said, must be resolved at the District Collector level under applicable RoW rules.

₹150 Crore Incentive and BharatNet Progress

The meeting was told that 100 per cent of pending RoW applications up to 31 March 2026 have been disposed of under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance's Special Assistance Scheme. The average disposal time for RoW permissions has remained below 45 days and currently stands at approximately 32 days, a figure the Chief Secretary noted with satisfaction. Srinivas directed officials to complete remaining formalities — including execution of the revised BharatNet project addendum and implementation of the Common Application Form and consolidated billing system by the Energy Department — so Rajasthan can avail the full ₹150 crore incentive under the scheme.

4G Saturation Project and Tower Land Allotment

Reviewing the 4G Saturation Project, implemented with support from the Department of Telecommunications, the Chief Secretary directed District Collectors to personally monitor and expedite the allotment of revenue land for mobile towers in pending cases. He also called for a review of the possibility of refunding processing fees in cases where applications are rejected by local bodies, and for streamlining smart-metering and group-billing processes.

He further 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.

Key Officials and Stakeholders Present

The meeting was attended by Ravi Kumar Surpur, Secretary, Department of Information Technology and Communication; Himanshu Gupta, Commissioner, Department of Information Technology and Communication; 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 the Revenue Department also participated. Office-bearers of the Cellular Operators Association of India and the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association joined via video conference. The completion of BharatNet addendum formalities and the 30 September RoW compliance deadline will be the immediate milestones to watch.