The government’s Digital India Campaign has failed in Sattari taluka, as villagers claim that they do not get proper network connectivity.
Interestingly, out of 70 villages, only 15 get proper network connectivity, while the remaining 55 remote villages are left without proper network connectivity.
Locals have made several demands to the panchayat and the government to take the initiative install towers in all panchayats areas. Villagers are confronted with great hardships during various emergencies and their problems seem to be continuous, as remote villages of the taluka fail to reap the benefits of the expanding digital world.
We are in continues touch with different companies to setup their towers in our panchayat area and thankfully, the process is now in the pipeline. We have got good response from Jio, whose officials have already visited our site. All paperwork has been cleared and work is expected to begin very soon, Nagargao Sarpanch Parag Khadilkar pointed out.
We have also written a letter to BSNL officials and asked them to provide good service in Bhirondem panchayat area. All villagers are facing poor network problem, said Bhirondem Sarpanch Nitin Shivdekar.
Savardem village panchayat has not taken any steps in this direction and even our demand for a tower during the gram Sabha, nothing has been done so far, complained Savardem villagers.
Shel Dhada villagers said as there was no network connectivity or landline connection in their village, they faced many problems in their day-to-day life, including 108 ambulance service. During emergencies, villagers cannot contact their family members, who are working outside the village at private companies, government departments and other sectors.
Villagers have resolved to demand the facility from the government to provide network connectivity in their village as soon as possible.
Shel Dhada village is a rural village, located 20 kilometers away from town and comes under Guleli panchayat, which has 45 houses with around 800 villagers who reside there.
In our village there is no network and landline connection. Because of this we are facing many problems. When we fall ill, we cannot contact 108 ambulance or any private vehicle owner, to take us to the hospital. Our village youth who apply for jobs get call letters very late, as the concerned department cannot contact them telephonically because of no connectivity, laments villager Aashish Naik.
While doing any project work we have to search information on the internet and since there is no network in our village we have to travel to other villages and far off places to complete our project work, says young Nehal Naik.
We have been demanding that the government install at least one tower in our village for a long time Diptesh Naik said.
Kamlakant Naik points out that the issue had been raised on several occasions in the gram sabha but the panchayat had failed to take any action so far.
