The government's broadband firm Bharat Broadband Network Ltd has appointed officials of state- run telecom companies MTNL and BSNL on its board of directors.

"We have appointed three directors from BSNL and MTNL, respectively. Now our board is complete," Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) CEO N Ravi Shankar told PTI.

The government has formed special purpose vehicle BBNL to roll out broadband network to connect 2.5 lakh panchayats across country by 2014.

Shankar, who is also Administrator for Universal Services Obligation Fund at Department of Telecommunications, said that BBNL has appointed MTNL's AK Bhargava as Director- Operations, BSNL's PK Agarwal as Director-Planning and Arundhati Panda as Director-Finance.

Prior to joining BBNL, Bhargava was working as Executive Director for Wireless Services Divison of MTNL.

Agarwal served as Chief General Manager for BSNL's Rajasthan circle before joining BBNL.

Before joining this broadband SPV, Panda was working at the post of Deputy Director General in Finance Department of BSNL.

BBNL has started pilot projects on connecting gram panchayats in three blocks under Ajmer in Rajasthan, Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Panisagar in Tripura.