Hatadihi: Digital India, the flagship programme launched by the Government of India to transform the country into a digitally empowered society, has still been meaningless, at least for the people of Raighati-1, Raighati-2, Bhanara, Maira and some other villages under tribal-dominated K Balapala panchayat under Hatadihi block in Keonjhar district.
Residents of these villages are hardly getting any benefits from Digital India programme for their villages have been remaining out of coverage area of all the mobile network providing companies.
“Almost all the villagers have smart phones, but they are of no use,” some alleged, adding, “In case of an emergency we have to either go up a hillock, climb a tree or choose a place comparatively higher than others to access signal.”
People here have already identified places where the network is comparatively stronger and they are no stranger to situations wherein some of them talk over mobile phones standing atop a large rock, sitting on branches of a tree or standing on certain verandahs.
At some houses mobile phones can be seen hanging from the roofs outside their houses because this is the only option to access network.
What is even worse is the fact that the K Balipala panchayat office is also devoid of internet facility, the villagers alleged.
PNN
