Seems unlikely in the present era when almost each and every member of the family owns a mobile phone but there are several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and Line of Control (LoC with Pakistan not having mobile coverage in Union Territory of Ladakh. As per estimates, the number of such villages and hamlets along the sensitive border areas, are numbering more than 350. In fact, Union Communication Ministry should have taken up the issue for its early resolution even after repeated announcements made by it in this regard. We feel, instead , the same should have been taken on priority much earlier.
What happened to the much talked about project announced by the BSNL some years back in response to representation of the people and on instructions from the Department of Telecommunica-tions for installation of mobile towers in the areas under reference ? Though a Detailed Project Report is reported to have been made but due to non availability of funds, the same stands abandoned . Agreed, there could be no matching returns in respect of the investment made in this regard but the question is whether that commercial hitch should preclude the people living here from using this facility which has assumed less of luxurious connotations and more of purposes of dire needs. The people living in these areas too have a stake in the Universal Service Obligation Fund being operated by the concerned Department.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel