Gajapati villagers travel miles, climb hill for mobile network; request Odisha govt intervention

Despite having a mobile tower nearby, residents of Guluba panchayat under Mohana block in Odisha’s Gajapati district continue to face severe network issues. Villagers say their mobile phones fail to receive signals within the village, forcing them to gather under a specific tree at the village entrance to make phone calls or complete online work.

According to reports, the lack of connectivity has caused significant inconvenience for locals. Even government officials, including a Supplies Inspector, had to sit under the same tree to complete e-KYC formalities. Families also bring their children to the spot to register for ration cards, as the process cannot be completed within the village due to poor signal strength.

One of the residents said, “We have to travel more than 12 kilometres and reach by 6 am for the registration. There are no hotels nearby and no place to arrange food for the children. If the government provides network access in our panchayat, it would be a great relief. Many remain hungry because they cannot register for ration cards, and it becomes even more difficult when it rains.”

The Supplies Inspector added, “KYC registration takes a lot of time, often more than half an hour due to weak network.”

Appeal for Government Intervention

The panchayat sarpanch said, “This issue has persisted for many years. I had informed the previous government, but received no response. I now request the BJP government to address the network problem, which would help the villagers and the students here. A better network would also ensure timely ambulance services.”

Connectivity Limited to One Spot

Villagers said that only one spot under the tree offers minimal signal access, where people gather daily to make calls or complete digital work. For e-KYC and Aadhaar verification, many climb nearby hills to get proper connectivity.

Residents have urged the administration and telecom service providers to take immediate steps to improve network coverage, saying that despite the presence of a tower, they remain digitally cut off from essential online services.