It has been 10 days since the internet went out in several parts of Punjab, affecting business, study and many other daily tasks. The Center suspended internet in parts of four districts of Punjab on February 14, and expanded to seven districts on February 16. However, if residents are to be believed, they have been facing internet problems since February 11th. The farmers were planning a march towards Delhi..
Deepak Jain, president of Lehlagaga Town and Village Welfare Association in Sanroor district, said, “We are facing internet problems since February 11.If the government does not restore supply by Tuesday, mobile phone tower wires will be cut off.” I’m planning to cut it,” he said. In our hometown. ”
Jain, 64, a social activist, said she wrote a letter to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on February 20.
“People are not willing to come forward and speak out even though their jobs are being affected. The authorities are giving the excuse that the internet is not working, so there are no cases at the SDM office. I am afraid the broadband connection is not working in these offices as well,” he said.
With class X and XII board exams being held, students are unable to access important information and revision notes due to lack of internet supply. Even day-to-day school work relies on online applications.
The continued farmers’ agitation on the Shambhu-Kanauli border in Punjab and Haryana has affected internet supply in parts of Sangrur, Patiala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar.
Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) spokesperson Taveer Singh Mann told The Indian Express: This puts a question mark on their own Digital India campaign. ”
Digvijay Pal Sharma, president of Punjab Democratic Teachers’ Front, said, “These days the internet has become an essential part of our lives and no household can afford broadband. We need to understand this and take action accordingly.”
Online financial transaction companies and online payments for commercial transactions have also been affected. Not only that, the de-addiction center also has a database of patients on the portal.
Jain said, “Many patients don’t even get their medicine even if they return to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, the Haryana government on Tuesday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till Wednesday following farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation.
The affected districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. The government had previously extended the mobile internet suspension on February 13, 15, 17 and 19.
Haryana additional chief secretary TVSN Prasad said in the order, “After assessing the prevailing law and order situation in the state, it remains critical in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts. And the situation remains tense.” Prasad said, “It is clear that the misuse of internet services by spreading inflammatory content and false rumors has the potential to disrupt public works, damage public assets and facilities, and disrupt public law and order in the above-mentioned areas.” ”. He said.
The order was issued under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and Rule 2 of the Suspension of Telecommunication Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
According to the order, suspension of all dongle services provided on mobile networks except mobile internet services, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and voice calls in the seven district jurisdictions will be effective from February 21. will be extended to.
The order has been extended to prevent disturbances of peace and order and will remain in effect until February 21.
