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Govt decides to drop Sankhya Vahini project

BS ICE Bureau

The government has decided to drop the Rs 25.50 billion Sankhya Vahini Project. Minister of state for communications Tapan Sikdar told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday "The government has decided not to go ahead with the Sankhya Vahini project."

The objective of the project was to provide a high-speed data network for the benefit of educational institutions, corporations and individuals for learning, training, research and multi-media activities. The project was proposed as a joint venture between IUNet, a division of CMU, and the department of telecom services.

However, the venture received a jolt after Carnegie Mellon University decided to pull out in October.

The project was approved by the Cabinet almost two years back, but ran into controversy with a section of the Sangh Parivar opposing it on the grounds that it posed a threat to the national security.

After CMU pulled out of the project earlier this year, the government has been working on various strategies to revive the project, including roping in state- owned telecom companies to become partners.

As per the earlier plans of the government, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd was to have taken over the 45 per cent government stake in the joint venture.

But, as this required fresh approvals from the BSNL board and the cabinet, the project got delayed further.

The government had, however, earlier clarified that the delays were not intentional but due to the changes in the telecommunication ministry. In fact, the ministry of communication was in the process of preparing a cabinet note on the issue when IUNet withdrew from the project.

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