Bengal shelves info superhighway project

Indrani Dutta

KOLKATA, Nov. 12

THE `information superhighway', the State-wide optical fibre network proposed to be set up by the West Bengal Government, has been shelved for now, following lack of response from prospective bidders.

The project, which was announced by Dr Ashim Dasgupta, the State Finance Minister in his Budget speech two years ago, was to have been implemented by the West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB) as a joint venture with a private sector company.

It envisaged using WBSEB transmission towers, poles and right-of-way for creating an extensive cable-based broadband superhighway.

This was projected to reach most parts of the State, including 27 centres with populations of over a lakh, all district headquarters, major educational centres, Government offices and R & D institutions. The network length was estimated at 2,560 km.

However, the Government has now been forced to go slow on the project, as there has been virtually no response to the advertisement floated some time ago to seek expressions of interest from prospective partners. The fate of the project has become uncertain and a review meeting is proposed to be held later this week between the WBSEB and the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) officials to determine the next course of action.

WBSEB had tied up with PGCIL to float a new company for implementing the project the cost of which was estimated at Rs 280 crores. It was then decided that while WBSEB and PGCIL would hold 49 per cent of the equity, the controlling interest would remain with the private sector company.

However, despite such liberal terms, only Reliance had picked up the bid documents. However, apparently even the country's top corporate house was not confident about the project and they did not submit any bid documents.

Sources said that lack of market for the Internet and related IT services in e rural areas appears to have put the project in a spot.