State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Monday said it will be rolling out optical-fibre connectivity to 2,503 gram panchayats in West Bengal by 2016.

The estimated cost of the project to lay optical-fibre across 7,583 km is Rs.300 crore.

The company has already connected some of the state’s gram panchayats and hopes to complete the rest by 2016.

“We have been able to connect 500 gram panchayats until now and by next year we will complete connecting the rest,” CGM, Bengal circle, Kishore Kumar said here at the Digital India week celebration.

However, a 100-odd gram panchayats will be left out of the connectivity programme in the first phase.

Kumar said the company’s Bengal circle will be spending between Rs.280-300 crore in capex during the current fiscal year which will be primarily used to enhance the mobile network.

IANS