PANAJI
At a time when all academic work has switched to an online mode, poor network connectivity particularly in rural parts has thrown up an opportunity for local politicians and satraps to themselves connect to the student community in an election year and it is being grabbed.
Reports that local politicians are taking it upon themselves to step in and resolve local internet connectivity issues have been pouring in from across the State.
First off the block was former IT Minister and independent legislator from Porvorim Rohan Khaunte. On Saturday, Khaunte launched an education service made available to local students by Porvorim Rising, the NGO mentored by him and Penha de Franca panchayat.
The service is at the Science and Community Park at Porvorim which will be used as a community space for the students, where they will be provided with free Wi-Fi service.
Students living in all the three panchayats of Porvorim constituency -- Penha de Franca, Salvador do Mundo and Socorro -- can avail of the facility.
“This is a backup so that there are no complaints of internet connectivity,” Khaunte said.
Earlier last week, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane rushed to intervene after students constantly facing connectivity issues in Sattari marched in protest to the office of the BSNL located in Valpoi town.
Rane met with the officer in-charge and asked him to resolve the internet connectivity glitches. He has also arranged for meetings with panchas and Sarpanchas of the region to tackle the hyper-local connectivity issues along with the officials of BSNL.
Reports of similar interventions by politicians from across Goa have come across in.
In an election year these local politicians and satraps are leaving nothing to chance and are reaching out to the student community to resolve their Internet connectivity problems, lest they earn the ire of this crucial segment of the electorate and lose their support to challengers and rivals.
