Arunachal: Sangh and other organizations demand mobile network in U/Siang villages
ITANAGAR : The All Upper Siang District Students’ Union has sought mobile network and internet connectivity in villages of Upper Siang district.
The union on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the chief minister in this regard.
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Press Club here on Tuesday, the union sought the chief minister’s intervention in connection with the long-pending demand for the provision of mobile network and internet connectivity in the seven villages of Sibium, Katan, Jeru, Sumsing, Padu, Silli and Geying in Upper Siang district.
Although a BSNL mobile tower has been installed following protests, there is no connection of 4G mobile tower, the union said.
It stated that the complete absence of network and internet services in these villages in this 21st century has deprived them from connecting with the rest of the world.
In today’s digital era, when communication has become an essential right, the residents, comprising children, students, elderly, and patients continue to suffer immense hardships due to the lack of mobile connectivity, it said.
Despite our having written numerous representations and holding peaceful demonstrations, such as rallies in Geku and a foot march from Geku to Yingkiong, the issue remains unresolved, and the people’s earnest pleas remain unheard, it said.
The union urged Chief Minister Pema Khandu to direct the departments concerned and telecom service providers to initiate immediate and concrete steps for the installation of mobile network towers and internet infrastructure in the aforesaid villages.
It appealed that the demand be treated as urgent, so that the people of the seven villages may be brought into the mainstream of development and communication.
Several letters have been issued through local representatives of Upper Siang and the district administration, but the issue has been left unheard, it said.
Meanwhile, the Geku Katan Intellectual Youth Forum (GKIYF), along with the All Sibum Students’ Union (ASSU), All Padu Students’ Union (APSU), All Jeru Students’ Union (AJSU), All Sille-Jeying Students’ Union (ASJSU), and All Pongging Students’ Union (APSU) on Tuesday raised the same issue.
“On 4 November, 2022, the ASSA had submitted a letter to the Upper Siang deputy commissioner, requesting network and internet access for Sumsing, Sibum, Jeru, Padu, and Sille. No action followed. On 15 June, 2023, the GKIYF followed up the matter at the secretariat in Itanagar, only to learn that the district administration had not forwarded the grievance letter to the chief minister’s office,” the organisations stated in a release.
On 23 June, 2023, the GKIYF submitted a grievance letter to Upper Siang DC, the telecom subdivisional officer, Yingkiong, and Mariyang MLA Kanggong Taku, highlighting the persistent network issues. No response or action was received, they said.
“On 23 June, 2023, the GKIYF, along with ASSA, APSU, AJSU, ASJSU, and APSU, organized a peaceful rally from Geku to Yingkiong. Over 100 students and community members participated, demanding network connectivity, but no tangible results were achieved,” they said.
Following the rally, the GKIYF announced a 24-hour bandh in Upper Siang district. “DC Hage Lailiang called for a meeting to discuss the issue peacefully, assuring that a mobile tower would be installed with network and internet access within three months,” the release stated.
The task was assigned to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). “However, while the BSNL constructed a mobile tower as promised, as of 3 June, 2025, nearly two years after the commitment, the tower remains non-functional, with no network or internet access provided to the villages,” the release said.
“Despite repeated assurances from the BSNL that services would be activated ‘very soon’, no progress has been made, leaving the residents disconnected and frustrated,” the release added.
The lack of network and internet connectivity severely hampers education, communication, access to government services, and economic opportunities for the residents of Sumsing, Katan, Padu, Jeru, and Sille. In an era where digital connectivity is a necessity, these villages remain isolated due to unfulfilled promises, it said.
The organisations appealed to the chief minister and Lok Sabha MPs Kiren Rijiju and Tapir Gao to urgently address the grievance and ensure that the BSNL activates the network and internet services at the earliest.
They also requested the state government to investigate the delays and hold accountable those responsible for the inaction.
“The youths and residents of these villages deserve equal access to digital infrastructure, which is critical for their development and integration into the modern world,” the organisations said.
