The telecom department, through an interim order, has extended additional charge of BSNL and MTNL chairman and managing director given to Robert Jerard Ravi for three months, subject to the approval of the appointments committee of the Cabinet, a regulatory filing said on Tuesday.

Ravi, Deputy Director General (Standards Research and Innovation), was given additional charge of the telecom public sector firms as their chairman and managing director on July 13, 2024, after the government rejected the extension application of then CMD PK Purwar.

“In continuation of this Department’s order…and to ensure that the post(s) of CMD, BSNL, along with CMD MTNL and CMD BBNL does not remain vacant, as an interim measure and subject to the approval of the appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC), the additional charge…entrusted to Ravi A Robert Jerard..is extended for a further period of 3 months with effect from January 15, 2025, till April 14, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” to the filing said, citing the MTNL order.

During his tenure as CMD of the PSUs, Ravi has been instrumental in expediting the installation of BSNL’s 4G network and finalising the tender for BharatNet phase 3, which aims to connect 6.4 lakh villages and all 2.64 lakh gram panchayats.

The BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all the country’s Gram Panchayats (around 2.64 lakh).

Till October 2024, under BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II 2,14,283 GPs have been made service-ready, as per an official note.