While Prime Minister Narendra Modi expects various developments with effective implementation of his digital India project, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited (BSNl) appears to be apathetic to such developmental projects.
On one hand the PM talks of providing internet connection in every village while at same time BSNl internet broadband service in the Joshimath block in Chamoli district continues to be disrupted frequently.
BSNl customers in Joshimath complain that the BSNl broadband internet service provided here works properly only for a few days in a month. In the current month so far, this broadband service has worked properly for only about one week. The locals point out that while the PM is pushing forward with his digital India plan, the functioning of the BSNl makes it appear as if the corporation is leaving no stone unturned to thwart the planned digital development.
While the information revolution continues to progress, the services of the BSNl appear to remain slack. Considering the repeated glitches in the BSNl broadband service in Joshimath, its users say that one is bound to ask whether the recurring service disruption is being caused by a genuine technical fault or being orchestrated with the ulterior motive of benefiting the private companies providing internet services.
When the locals enquire about the cause for disruption in BSNl broadband internet, the department officials say that the disruption was caused by severing of the optical fibre cable (OFC) during execution of varied civic works.
The OFC getting severed is the most commonly stated reason for disruption of BSNl broadband internet service in Joshimath. The locals also ask why the OFC is not installed in a secure location after it is severed during road construction or other works. The BSNl broadband customers complain that the corporation does not provide any rebate in the bill even when the line is not functioning properly. As a result of the continued inefficiency of the corporation, a rising number of BSNl broadband users are shifting to private service providers.
Observers point out that though BSNl has considerable infrastructure, its inefficiency will make it harder to achieve the aim of linking rural areas with the information revolution.