Bureaucratic standoff leaves high-tech labs paralysed without internet across Sivaganga schools

High-tech computer laboratories and smart classrooms across government schools have remained locked and non-functional for over a year and a half in Sivaganga district due to a standoff between the School Education Department and the internet provider.

Under a State-wide digitisation initiative, government primary and middle schools were equipped with advanced technological infrastructure, backed by plans to provide 100 Mbps high-speed broadband connections through BSNL across 28,000 institutions.

However, implementation has hit a severe roadblock in rural areas. As many schools are located several km away from major towns, BSNL demanded that headmasters bear the additional expenditure incurred for laying long-distance underground cables — a demand teachers vehemently opposed.

To bypass the deadlock, department officials initially permitted schools to procure private broadband connections, allocating ₹1,500 a month to cover the subscription fee. But the temporary fix was abruptly halted in February of last year, when the government mandated that all schools transition exclusively to BSNL network, with monthly bills to be settled directly by the State.

Despite multiple rounds of discussions between BSNL and education authorities, a bureaucratic stalemate persists over who should foot the extra cabling charges, which range from ₹3,000 to ₹30,000 depending on a school's distance from the main line.

With neither the department nor the telecom provider willing to absorb the cost, and private funding allowances revoked, digital labs across the district have grounded to a halt.

"BSNL demands extra money based on our distance from the main lines, and neither the education department nor BSNL will pay for it," said a local teacher. "Meanwhile, the private funds have been cut off, leaving our labs completely paralysed. They are only functioning in about 10% of urban schools with existing BSNL access. Parents ask us questions every day, and we have no answers left to give."

While officials maintain that institutions have been strictly directed to secure connectivity through BSNL, students continue to miss out on vital digital learning.