HC seeks DM’s report on telecommunication facilities in border district of Pithoragarh
Thursday, 08 December 2022 | PNS | NAINITAL
Dharchula receives signals from Nepalese service providers but signals of Indian operators are absent
Hearing on a public interest litigation the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Pithoragarh district magistrate to submit a fresh report on improvements made in the telecommunications facility in the district of Pithorgarh which borders both China and Nepal. The division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice RC Khulbe issued this direction after the court took up the matter of poor telecommunications facilities in the high Himalayan region of Dharchula-Munsyari in the form of the PIL. The division bench has also asked the Pithoragarh district judge to present his report in this matter. The matter will be taken up for hearing next on February 16.
The report of the district magistrate states that even government work is being affected in this region while BSNL has stated that telecommunication facilities have improved in the region compared to the past. The court has now asked the district magistrate to submit a report on how much improvement has been made in the telecommunication facilities here. Nyaya Mitra Dushyant Mainyuli informed the court that even judicial works are being affected due to lack of proper telecommunication facilities in the area. It is difficult to even upload court orders here. It has been stated in the PIL that mobile phone signals from Nepal are received in this area but the signals of Indian companies are not available.
The issue of telecommunication services in this strategically important area of Pithoragarh district has not been resolved even in this digital era. The situation is such that even in Dharchula Nagar Panchayat area the mobile service signals of BSNL and other Indian service providers are not available. Defence experts have been stating for quite some time that China has been enhancing its telecommunications network also in the Tibetan region. The activities of the Chinese establishment can also increase through Nepal, considering which it is vital for Indian telecommunication services to function properly in such border areas. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Kumaon Scouts are deployed in this region. Due to problems in the telecommunications services, these personnel also face issues.
