Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 12: As repeated requests to Union Telecommunication Ministry during the past two years have fallen on the deaf ears, a complete shut down was observed in entire Leh district today in protest against the poor services of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. The bandh received widespread support not only from different organizations but also from Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
All the business establishments remained closed throughout the day in all parts of the district on the bandh call given by the Traders Association, Travel Trade Organizations and subscribers with the support from LAHDC and District Congress Committee.
The intensity of the resentment among the people of the district against the poor services of BSNL and lackadaisical approach of the Union Ministry of Telecommunication and BSNL authorities in getting the same improved can be gauged from the fact that even during the evening hours people preferred to keep their respective business establishments closed.
Though the landline as well as cellular services of the BSNL were never up to the satisfaction yet after the devastating cloudburst some years back the situation turned worst and despite repeated requests by the LAHDC to the Union Telecommunication Ministry no step was initiated to provide reprieve to the subscribers, sources said.
“This is an issue of around one lakh subscribers of landline and cellular services of BSNL. The people are finding it difficult to communicate with each other”, Chief Executive Councilor of Leh said, adding “even the developmental works are suffering a lot because of poor communication link between the field functionaries and officers of different departments”.
As people have failed to get any relief from the Union Telecommunication Ministry, the District Congress Committee today sought the intervention of Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.
In a communication addressed to Prime Minister, DCC president Tsering Samphel said, “Ladakh is blooming as an international tourist destination and thousands of tourists from all corners of the world are facing acute communication problem day in and day out during their visit to this region and carry with them an indelible aspersion of our inefficiency”.
“The BSNL authorities have been handling communication system in Ladakh as if the land belongs to the aliens. They are ignorant of the strategic importance of the region, which is an anti-national outlook”, he said, adding “Ladakh remains cut off for 6-7 months a year during winter season with the rest of the country due to snowfall and subsequent blockages of passes therefore the region requires an independent and efficient communication system”.
Seeking Prime Minister’s intervention, he said, “the Telecommunication Ministry should be directed to immediately depute a team of officials to take stock of the BSNL services in Ladakh followed by immediate remedial actions at war footing”.
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