Committees formed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the technical evaluation of bids under the BharatNet Phase III tender are set to submit their final reports by September 10, 2024. According to an August 14, 2024 letter, the Committee for Evaluation of Tender (CET) for each package will deliver its report, clearly outlining recommendations for technically acceptable bids and reasons for rejections, to the Chairman of the Coordination Committee.
In August 2024, BSNL authorized the formation of CET committees to evaluate bids for each of the 16 tender packages, along with a coordination committee. The coordination committee includes Sudhir Gupta, PGM (ABP), as Chairman, and members Shailendra Kumar Bhardwaj, PGM (PF); Rajeev Narang, PGM (BN-3); and Paritosh Kumar Shah, GM (MM).
Domestic vendors like Polycab, and HFCL submitted individual bids, while 18 bidders, including G R Infraprojects, Vindhya Telelinks, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), and others, formed consortiums. In total, 21 bidders have entered the BharatNet III program, covering regions like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, and the North East. The bidding deadline was August 6, 2024.
The BharatNet III initiative is part of the Rs 1.39 lakh crore BharatNet program, which aims to upgrade 164,000 gram panchayats and connect an additional 47,000 under a new model. With a budget of Rs 65,000 crore, BharatNet III follows a three-tier structure: BSNL will provide Internet leased line bandwidth to 7,269 blocks, private players will manage middle-mile connectivity for 10 years, and last-mile connectivity will be implemented through the Udyami model. This project follows the earlier BharatNet Phase I and II, which received a combined approval of Rs 42,068 crore in 2017.
