LEH: At a time when Government of India talks of advanced technology, cashless economy and e-transition, remote places like Ladakh suffers from not having a satisfied basic telecommunication facility for days together.
After days of BSNL services remaining affected for the whole of Ladakh region on account of breakdown of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) at Thasgam in Kargil, services were restored on Tuesday night after carrying out a tough restoration work by BSNL Ladakh’s officials under sub zero temperature.
Telecom District Manager (TDM) Ladakh Phunstog Dorjay told STATETIMES on Wednesday that there was a deliberate OFC cut at Thasgam and BSNL was lodging an FIR with the police in Kargil.
“We discovered that hacksaw blades were used my miscreants to cut OFC and cables had been pulled out of the pipe and led our team to take longer time to restore the cable,” he said adding that the road had to be dug up to restore the services. He also informed that in the year 2016 there have been many deliberate OFC cuts besides damages caused by other reasons. In the month of September there was an OFC breakdown every day except for the 4th of the month.
It was also learnt that most of the OFC damages were caused on Srinagar side this year due to several reasons including deliberates to sabotage communication services to Ladakh. According to BSNL sources, there were as many as 114 OFC cuts in the financial year 2015-16.
Disconnecting of internet and mobile services has been a routine problem for the whole summer this year which had led students, researchers, tourists and those associated with travel industry had to suffer hugely. Need of the hour is to find appropriate and permanent solutions to keep Ladakh connected digitally round the year.
Government of India talks of cashless economy through e-transition and of empowering every citizen with access to digital services, knowledge and information through Digital India initiative but ironically strategically crucial places like Ladakh gets disconnected every other day and concerned authorities at the highest levels remain least bothered and mute spectators on the issue. Can this attitude of leaders and officials at the helm of affairs make government of India to realise the dream envisioned through Digital India initiative?