Zaffer Iqbal
Baramulla, Jul 5 (GNS): Mobile subscribers in over thirty villages in Uri are facing severe network connectivity issues as the telecom service providers have allegedly failed to make the signal towers functional across the border town here.
The SDM, as per a local delegation, after receiving frequent complaints had forwarded a communiqué vide SDM/Uri/20/67 dated 06-03-2021, to Deputy Commissioner Baramulla to seek his intervention into the network connectivity issues faced by villages including; Kamalkote, Madian, Gohallan, Sultandaki, Gowalta,Uroosa, Shahdara, Kundibarjala, Zamboorpattan, Dardkote, Lachipora (A), Lachipora (B), Gawas, Dazna, Garkote, Charunda, Silikote, Limber, Bodraali, Gagarhill, Banali, Dudran, Chotali, Jabdi, Darkunjan, Maidanan, Badian, Salasan and Bernate.
The communiqué, as per the delegation, had requested the Deputy Commissioner to take up the matter with authorities concerned, ‘so that the unconnected population is covered and inconvenience to general public on this account are reduced at an earliest.’
Even after the matter taken with the authorities concerned, nothing has been done so far, the delegation members said. The mobile towers though installed across several villages continue to remain non functional, with the subscribers yearning for network connectivity, they said.
Zahoor Ahmad Qureshi, a resident of Ladibal Uri said that a Jio tower was installed in the beginning of 2019 in their village, however even after two years it (signal tower) is yet to be made functional by the telecom service provider. “We are the residents of a far off area and had high hopes after the installation of the tower, however they have fallen flat now”, he said.
There is a Jio tower installed in Kamalkote area but it rarely functions, another local said adding that it however most of the times remains shut much to the discomfiture of the people.
Besides Kamalkote, the ‘lifeless’ Jio towers have been installed in villages like Madian, Gohallan, Nambla, Ladibal, Saidpora, Uri Main, Machikarand, Bandi, Paranpillan, Bernate Boniyar Dudran Boniyar,Salasan Boniyar and Sultandaki, he said.
Masrat Jamal, Sarpanch Lachipora (A), told GNS the due to inaccessible mobile connectivity, their children supposedly to attend classes through online mode are suffering immensely. “Our children have to go several kilometers away from their respective homes on hilly areas to use the internet for online classes or submission of any online form document”, she said.
Asking the authorities to step in, the Sarpanch further said that they hope that something would be done on a priority basis to bail out the residents of this situation.
When contacted an official in Deputy Commissioner Baramulla office told GNS that administration has taken the matter into consideration and to sort out the issue. (GNS)
