Bathan Village Still Deprived of Mobile Network in the Modern Era, Residents Demand Immediate Installation of Telecom Tower

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

ZAHID SHAH 

RAJOURI MAY 17:-While the world continues to move rapidly towards digital transformation and modern communication systems, the remote and last village of Budhal Division in Rajouri district — Bathan — still remains deprived of basic mobile network and internet facilities. On one hand, claims of Digital India, online education, e-governance, and technological advancement are being made across the country, but on the other hand, the residents of Bathan village are struggling even to make a simple phone call.

According to local residents, major telecom companies such as Reliance Jio and Airtel make tall claims of providing seamless connectivity and high-speed internet services, but the ground reality in the village tells a completely different story. Mobile signals remain extremely weak while internet services often stay completely unavailable, causing immense inconvenience to students, employees, patients, and the general public.

Residents stated that an Airtel tower was installed a few years ago at Gabbar, raising hopes among the local population that communication services in Bathan village would improve. However, the situation continues to remain alarming. Due to weak signals and poor connectivity, people are often forced to walk 50 to 100 meters away from their homes just to make phone calls, while many climb hills or move to open spaces in search of network coverage.

Locals further said that the situation becomes even more distressing during rainfall, harsh winters, and nighttime. In emergency situations, medical crises, or accidents, the absence of reliable communication facilities creates fear, mental stress, and serious risks for the villagers. Residents believe that in today’s modern era, deprivation of basic communication services reflects sheer negligence on the part of the concerned authorities.

Sixty-five-year-old resident Faiz Mohammad expressed his pain, saying, “We are forced to leave our homes and walk long distances just to make a phone call. Even during cold nights, rain, and bad weather, searching for a signal has become our daily struggle. The world has reached the moon, but our village is still waiting for a proper phone connection.”

Youth from the area said that due to poor connectivity, people are unable to fully benefit from online education, government portals, digital banking, and other essential services. Students face severe difficulties in attending online classes and submitting forms, while people living outside the village often fail to stay connected with their families on time.

The residents of Bathan village have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Government, Rajouri district administration, and telecom companies to immediately install a modern mobile tower in the area so that people can access reliable network and internet facilities. According to the locals, being deprived of basic communication services in the digital age is nothing short of injustice, and the long-pending issue now demands urgent attention.