SUNDAYGUARDIANLIVE APR-2017. The Union government is hopeful that its flagship Bharatnet programme, under which Internet connectivity has to be provided to 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, will be accomplished by the 2018 deadline. In an exclusive conversation with The Sunday Guardian, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology P.P. Chaudhary hailed the Centre’s initiative as a “game changer” and confirmed that one lakh gram panchayats have already been Internet-enabled.