GANDERBAL, APRIL 30: A meeting of the District Level Telecom Committee (DLTC) was held here today under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Ganderbal, Syed Faheem Bihaqi to take stock of the progress of mobile tower installation, elimination of communication gaps, and the status of broadband connectivity works across the district.
The meeting held a detailed review of mobile tower installation by various service providers, with particular focus on areas that continue to lack adequate network coverage. It was noted that out of total identified tower sites for which land has been made available, almost all are now functional while work on the remaining a few sites is still pending, and all concerned agencies were directed to complete these without further delay.
Concern was expressed over BSNL’s failure to complete assigned works despite earlier directions at previous committee meetings. The state-run operator was specifically directed to immediately take up pending tasks and provide a compliance report. Airtel and Jio were directed to expedite installation of towers at critical locations, particularly at District Hospital Ganderbal and the Darend area, where absence of reliable connectivity poses a direct challenge to healthcare access and emergency response.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of BharatNet, the national programme to bring broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats.
The meeting was informed that surveys across all blocks in the district have been completed, active work is currently underway in Kangan and Lar blocks. Work in Safapora block, however, remains incomplete, and the executing agencies were directed to accelerate progress there and adhere to the prescribed timeline.
KPDCL was specifically directed to prioritise the provision of electricity to all telecom installation sites, as power availability remains a prerequisite for the commissioning of towers and broadband nodes.
All agencies were further directed to ensure that pending work orders are issued within a week, so that ground-level execution is not stalled on account of procedural delays.
Telecom companies were also directed to carry out proper restoration of sites following installation works and to take full responsibility for protecting public infrastructure and civic assets during execution. Any damage to roads, footpaths, or utilities caused during cabling or tower installation must be made good by the concerned agency.
The ADC underscored that seamless telecom connectivity is not a matter of convenience but a necessity for effective delivery of public services, functioning of healthcare facilities, coordination during emergencies, and the broader development goals of the district.
He stressed that strengthening telecom infrastructure is vital for public service delivery, emergency response, and overall socio-economic development of the district, and called upon all stakeholders to work in close coordination to achieve targets within the prescribed timeframe.
The meeting was attended by the officers and officials of district administration, besides representatives of BSNL, Airtel, Jio, and other concerned departments and agencies.