Bukhari censures telecom companies for poor services in Kashmir

Writes to Union Ministry of C&IT

Asking telecommunication operators, particularly the government-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to wake-up and improve their services in Kashmir, senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Amira kadal Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari Friday said poor mobile and landline services are giving a tough time to the millions of subscribers in the Valley.

In this connection, Bukhari has shot a communiqué to the Union Minister of Communications & Information Technology, bringing into his notice the plight of subscribers who are directly and indirectly affected by the poor services offered by the telecommunication companies operating in Kashmir, PDP said in a press release.

While referring to the decrepit landline telephonic services, broadband internet outage, poor GPRS, 2G and 3G services, Bukhari said that the tall claims made by telecommunication companies particularly the BSNL about restoration of its services in short span of time after floods has proved to be hoax.

“The role of telecom companies has been worst during the floods and these companies are still operating at snail’s pace. Four months have passed since the flood devastated Kashmir in September last year, the subscribers particularly those having BSNL landline and cellular connections find it difficult to make a call, surf internet or avail a smooth broadband internet facility in their homes and offices.

“Same is the case with private telecom companies who earn thousands of crores in terms of revenue but hardly bother to streamline their cellular services in Kashmir,” Bukhari said.

The MLA Amirakadal said that the poor and dismal telecommunication services have also affected the business community in Kashmir, particularly the tour and travel companies who are not able to make regular contacts with outside state agencies because of poor internet and mobile telephonic services.

“Similarly the families of students studying outside J&K complain of poor mobile and internet connectivity when they try to talk or chat with their wards.  This dismal situation needs to be changed without any delay.

“People across Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar are facing tough times in absence of a smooth mobile and internet service. The services offered by the telecom companies at present are so poor that subscribers are now fed up by making constant efforts to make a call or receive the one properly,” the MLA observed.

Even at most of the times, people witness only one way of mobile traffic or come across frequent cross connections while making a call.

“In various localities of the flood-affected Amirakadal constituency, the BSNL is yet to restore its landline network. This has created a lot of problems for the people especially the traders’ community as the non functional landline connections have rendered broadband internet and fax services defunct,” Bukhari remarked.

Stressing on telecom authorities to streamline the mobile and internet connectivity, Bukhari said that temporary initiatives like intra-circle roaming arrangements between various mobile service operators in Kashmir should be continued for facilitating smooth mobile services to the subscribers particularly in far-flung areas of the Valley.

“Proper arrangements should be made till the requisite infrastructure is put in place by the telecom companies particularly the BSNL to remove the technical hitches,” Bukhari averred.