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UP polls: Digital campaign falls flat in Sonbhadra’s remote villages sans mobile signal
In Sonbhadra , there are 150 such remote villages that lack mobile network or mobile signals making the residents of these hamlets oblivious to the digital electioneering that has become a new normal this UP poll.
Anil Saket and Heera Lal are enjoying the lukewarm sunlight on a painted road in Gaurghati, a remote village in Sonbhadra’s Jugail area situated amid serene pastoral surroundings with farms full of lush green peas, wheat and mustard crops. They are oblivious of the hustle and bustle of electioneering, as virtual poll campaigning, a new normal this assembly election, is missing, the prime reason being poor or no mobile network in their area.
Around 45 km from off Sonbhadra district headquarters Robertsganj, Gaurghati is one among the 33 villages in around a 20-kilometre stretch in Jugail, known as the ‘no mobile network zone; or ‘no signal zone’. In Sonbhadra district, there are 150 such remote villages, including 33 in Jugail, which lack mobile network or mobile signals. Other villages are located in Manchi, Myorpur, Obra and Dudhi area of the district, says many locals.
Known as nature’s lap on account of the high mountains covered with trees and various herbs and shrubs, no signal or no mobile network in Jugaul is a big issue for the locals and obviously, high speed Internet or mere Internet is a rare thing for many.
Youths with smart phones or mobiles go to Chopan from Jugail to catch mobile signals to get Internet.
Anil Saket also complains of the same issue. “(Offline) Poll campaigning is yet to begin here. I am not aware of the online poll campaigning. In case we have to call someone, we have to climb the mountain to catch the signal on mobile or we travel around 12 km to Chopan to get the signal.”
“In such a situation, when there is no signal on mobile, how will there be virtual campaigning?” asks Saket and adds that many people are not aware about the virtual or online poll campaigning.
Hira Lal, Fulwa Devi, Rampiyare Yadav and Ramvriksha say that no mobile network is a big problem which troubles them daily and the government should take steps to ensure that the area has mobile signals.
“Can there be poll campaigning on mobile?” asks Birbal Kharwar, a resident of Panchpedia. He says, “I am not aware of it. There is no mobile signal in our village or in over 33 villages in the entire area.”
Fateh Mohammad, who runs Sahaj Jan Seva Kendra or Common Service Centre in Jugail, says, “Network is a big issue. For the network, I have to go to Chaura village around 14 km from here, to provide service to the locals who visit the Jan Seva Kendra to apply for caste, income and handicap certificates, residential proof, PAN card and documents pertaining to various types of pensions.”
To note, the Jan Seva Kendras have been set up in rural and remote pockets by the government, as an access point for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial and education services to the citizens.
Fateh says he and other locals urged the leaders of various political parties to get the issue addressed. But every time, they got mere assurances. This time, they are raising the issue before political leaders who visit them for their support, he adds.
According to Fateh, in the absence of mobile signals and Internet, online poll campaigning in the region is like a distant dream.
A head constable posted at Jugail police station, who doesn’t wish to be named, says in case of any incident, police receive information very late due to lack of mobile signals. “There is no mobile signal in the Jugail police station. If we have to send any information through mail, we go to Chopan. This is a big issue,” he says.
Chhote Lal, a resident of Garda village situated amid the mountains, says that the lack of mobile network was an issue well-known to everyone. But no one ever made efforts to address the problem. Therefore, the locals are talking about this and will take it up before the politicians when they visit to seek their support.
Samajwadi Party district unit president Vijay Yadav says, “The BJP people often talk big about digital India scheme. But several remote areas of Sonbhadra lack mobile network or mobile signals, let alone availability of high-speed Internet. How will people get the e-services in the absence of mobile network, let alone availability of high-speed internet as a core utility for delivery of services to the citizens? Digital India scheme falls flat in these remote areas in the absence of mobile network.”
He says that the SP will take up this issue after coming to power in UP and make efforts to ensure that mobile towers were set up in remote areas.
Former Sonbhadra district unit BJP President Ashok Mishra accepts that Jugail and several remote areas in Machi, Myorpur, Duddhi, lack mobile network.
“I wrote a letter to the union ministry of telecommunication regarding the issue over two and a half years ago. Thereafter, around 70 mobile network towers have been sanctioned. As there is model code of conduct, the work to install the towers couldn’t begin. After the election, the towers will be installed,” says Mishra and calls the SP leader’s claim baseless. Mishra says that Sahaj Jan Seva Kendras are making people’s life easy.
Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Common service centres have been set up in every gram panchayat to provide e-services to the people.
A senior official of the department of telecom, who doesn’t wish to be named as model code of conduct is effective, says that several remote pockets lack mobile network. However, some towers were sanctioned for these areas over two years ago to ensure availability of regular mobile network.
