Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that broadband connectivity that is being implemented in the country will not only provide facilities in the villages, but it will also help in creating a large pool of skilled youth in the rural areas.

Addressing a webinar on the Union Budget 2022, PM Modi said, "When the services sector expands with broadband connectivity in the villages, the country's potential will increase further. If there are any problems in optical fiber connectivity, then we have to identify them and find solutions."

Digital connectivity of villages is no longer an aspiration but the need of the day, he added.

"We need to identify and solve all optical fibre connectivity issues across the nation's rural areas. We also need to inform the rural population about the proper usage of optical fibre networks in villages that are now connected," the Prime Minister said.

He highlighted the fact that over 40 lakh property cards have been provided under the SWAMITVA Yojana.

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) was launched by the Prime Minister on April 24, 2020, as a Central Sector Scheme to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.

"To achieve 100 per cent target in different schemes, we also have to focus on new technology. So that the projects are also completed faster and there is no compromise with the quality," the Prime Minister said.

The theme of the programme 'Leaving No Citizen Behind' is aimed at bringing industry leaders, policymakers and government officials together to deliberate upon the positive impact of the budget and identify actionable strategies to collectively work towards furthering the common goal of uplift of everyone so that no household or village is left behind.

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