Project Ganga: Uttar Pradesh Begins Massive Rural Broadband Push Across 57,000 Panchayats

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched 'Project Ganga' in Lucknow. This plan brings high-speed internet to 57,000 gram panchayats, marking one of the largest rural connectivity drives in the state. It aims to connect villages to the digital world and bridge the gap between rural and urban areas. The project will ensure last-mile digital connectivity across the state so that even remote habitations can access essential online services, government schemes, and digital platforms without depending on physical visits to towns and cities.

Broadband will boost digital education and telemedicine in rural areas by making online classes, video lectures, and virtual consultations accessible to students and patients. E-governance and skill development remain key focus areas, with the government aiming to deliver certificates, applications, and public services through online channels. The project helps create tech-based jobs for rural youth, who can work as local digital facilitators, trainers, and service operators. It also aims to build smart villages across the state, where technology supports better governance, efficient delivery of services, and improved quality of life.

Expanding Digital Infrastructure

Operations have started in 21 districts in the first phase, laying the foundation for a wider rollout. The project develops a network of digital service providers who act as the main link between high-speed internet infrastructure and village households. Officials plan to reach over 20 lakh families via broadband, ensuring that each connected home can use the internet for education, health, banking, and livelihood activities. High-speed internet will also support local business growth by enabling farmers, traders, and small entrepreneurs to access market information, digital payments, and e-commerce platforms.

The state will train 8,000 to 10,000 digital service providers to operate and maintain this network at the grassroots level. These providers will serve 200 to 300 homes each, offering support for payments, online form submissions, and basic digital literacy. The plan expects to create 50,000 direct jobs through roles such as network operators, local coordinators, and support staff. Over one lakh indirect job opportunities will also arise when shops, training centres, and local enterprises benefit from better connectivity and increased digital activity.

Women entrepreneurs will receive special priority in this initiative. The government set a 50 per cent target for women among the pool of digital service providers and related roles. This aims to foster financial independence among local women by giving them stable income sources and leadership positions in their communities. These efforts align with the vision of self-reliance, as women trained under the project can also support other women in using digital tools for self-help groups, small businesses, and access to welfare schemes.

CM Yogi Adityanath addressed the launch event in Lucknow and highlighted how digital connectivity can transform rural life. He stressed building a model based on self-reliance, where villages generate their own economic opportunities with the help of technology. He urged officials to provide quality training to selected youth so that they can handle both technical and customer-facing responsibilities with confidence. The CM linked digital speed to the pace of development, noting that faster internet means quicker access to information, faster service delivery, and more timely decision-making for farmers, students, and small business owners. He underlined that 'Project Ganga' is not just about cables and connections, but about empowering every village to participate fully in the digital era.