Nandapur The residents of Ranitota, Kapuguda, Nakulpadar, and Moorsa villages under Peta Panchayat in Lamataput block have been deprived of mobile network services for the past six months. Surprisingly, these are not remote villages but lie along a main road connecting the popular tourist destination Machkund and also linking Odisha with Andhra Pradesh. Despite this strategic location, the region remains without any mobile network coverage.
More than 3,000 people live in these villages, yet they lack basic network facilities. Although there is a BSNL tower in Ranitota, it has not had any signal for over six months. Previously, some connectivity was received from nearby stations like Baipariguda and Gaudaguda, but now those signals have also disappeared.
Even after reports were published in some print and electronic media and tweets were directed to departmental authorities, no action has been taken. Ranitota also houses a police outpost, on which the people of Peta, Dabuguda, and Kerenga panchayats rely for lodging complaints in case of any crime. Despite the presence of such an important public facility, the district administration and state government have not paid any attention.
Many locals depend on mobile networks for online work and are suffering in this digital age. Today, it is nearly impossible to function without network connectivity. The residents have strongly urged the concerned authorities to take immediate action to restore mobile network services in the area.