SRINAGAR, July 28 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader Lateef Ahmad Khan on Tuesday urged the J&K government to provide tele-connectivity to Tulail and Bagtore areas of Gurez valley so that the inhabitants of these areas are not compelled to travel long distances to make a simple telephone call.
In a statement issued here, Khan said that people of Tulail and Bagtore are supposed to travel around 50 kilometers to reach Gurez in order to make some urgent telephone calls. “Tualil being the central part of Gurez comprises over 50 villages who have no telephone facility available in this modern digital age.
People of these areas especially the students’ community are suffering immensely for want of telecommunication facilities,” the JKAP leader observed. So far, he said that the only mode of communication available for the people of Gurez was provided by a single transceiver tower of BSNL in Dawar that ran a few landline telephones.
“However, Tulail tehsil and Bagtore areas of Gurez did not even have this facility. The area has been facing immense problems due to the unavailability of the landline and mobile network,” Khan added.
He said that Gurez valley remains cut off from Kashmir valley and pretty much the outside world for winter months every year when the Bandipora-Gurez road remains snowbound and due to the absence of mobile connectivity, the problems faced by the people get aggravated.
“The mobile and internet connectivity provided by private telecommunication companies would provide a much-needed relief and minimise the problems being faced by the local populace. One fails to understand that if some private telecommunication companies have already conducted surveys why are they not being allowed to install towers at these sites particularly at Tulail and Bagtore?” he asked.
Khan expressed regrets that the government has so far deprived the entire Gurez valley from the benefits of modern era developmental models. “In the absence of the telecommunication system education of our children is adversely being affected. Students pursuing education are not able to avail the benefit of attending online classes due to the COVID pandemic. Even our children dream about appearing in online examinations, aptitude tests due to which their educational career is at stake and they apprehend if such a situation continues it will certainly tell upon their future,” he added.
Similarly, Khan said that the lack of telecommunication facilities at Tulail and Bagtore has barred inhabitants of such localities from knowing about the welfare and whereabouts of their relatives residing in other places or who have gone outstations/abroad in connection with studies or employment.
“People of these areas cannot even think of making a call for an ambulance required to carry a sick patient, especially a lady who develops labour pain. People have to face a lot of trouble and suffer losses when any structure is engulfed by fire as the inhabitants cannot call for Fire Tender,” he added. Khan urged the Lieutenant Governor G.C Murmu to intervene into the matter and order immediate telecommunication facilities for the left out areas of Gurez valley.