VALPOI
The health minister has decided to take up with issue of poor mobile network connectivity in the remote Surla village in Sattari with Union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the BSNL.
He was responding to a report in The Goan highlighting the plight of students of Surla who have been struggling to avail internet connectivity for their online classes, even to the extent of venturing into the densely forested areas nearly 1.5 kms from the village where there is some connectivity.
Responding to the difficulties faced by students in Surla, the health minister stated on social media: “We shall take this up with the General Manager of BSNL to ensure installation of a tower is done at the earliest. I will be reaching out to Union Minister R S Prasad for his kind intervention in this matter.”
“I assure the people of Surla that we will resolve this on top priority. Since the onset of the pandemic, students have rapidly adapted to online education and to ensure they continue doing so without any hardships, I will resolve this issue on a war footing.”
Incidentally, the BSNL India responded to the minister tweet and stated: “For further escalation, kindly DM (directly message) your contact number & area/district.”
According to locals, a mobile company had set up a tower at Surla a year ago, but it has not yet been operationalised and due to the non-availability of any other network, the students in this village are deprived of online educational facilities.
