BSNL blames public for poor network
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 24
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) today blamed the public protests against erection of mobile towers for the poor network service in Goa.
“We are finding it difficult to set up mobile phone towers in rural Goa due to stiff opposition from the resident population,” chief general manager (Maharashtra Goa circle) Alok Kaul told reporters on the sidelines of the 3G service launch.
The official said that the resistance had severely limited BSNL’s expansion and connectivity in Goa’s rural areas.
“There is big fear in the minds of rural Goan villagers, that mobile towers would have a bad effect on health. I don’t know where the fears are come from. Even scientifically it is proved that the towers are not harmful in any way,” he stated.
“Out of the 260 towers planned in rural Goa, nearly 76 are still pending because there is opposition from the villagers,” Kaul said.
“This has hampered our 2Gmobile expansion plan tremendously as we could not erect many towers, as no objection certificates were not issued by the village panchayats and other relevant bodies,” Kaul further said, adding that the misconception that radiation from mobile towers affects health, should be cleared as soon as possible.
“The scene in Goa is that people are not giving us land. They are not giving us co-operation at all when it comes to erecting towers in Goa,” the BSNL official said.
