When they (addicts) run out of money, they steal the cables: Officials
Poor cellular, internet services irk subscribers
While landlines and broadband service of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) continue to remain out of service across various areas of summer capital Srinagar and other townships, officials believe that drug addicts make their heyday by stealing the wires.According to officials, the connectivity cables have been stolen by the drug addicts in City areas.
“It happens 2-3 times a year. The department have lodged FIRs in this regard. But I don’t know why the criminals are roaming scot-free,” Hamid Ahmad, BSNL Barzulla Exchange Inspector said. “This is the third time when the cables have been stolen,” he said. He said that the said it would take more than two weeks to fix the problem across the affected areas.
Senior BSNL official (SDA Barzulla) Shamim Ahmad believes that there were drug addicts who sit near the bund and steal the wires when they run short of money.
“They steal the wires because the wires are made up of copper and after melting the wires, they sell them. For 40-50metres of 2-3 cables, they can easily earn Rs 500 to 600,” said Ahmad.
The locals are not only hampered by the disconnectivity but the connectivity as well.
Imran Yousuf, resident of Natipora said, “All the areas are disconnected. Moreover it was being announced that the minimum speed of internet would be 2mbps but it’s not so. When it was the time to implement the decision, it was uploaded on the website that the speed would switch back to 512kbps. BSNL is a mess now!”
The General Manager of BSNL broadband, M Manicham said, “It cannot be so. It was announced to be 2mbps but it’s subject to the plan you opt for. People might have got confused. Whatever we announce is subject to the fair plan.”
“Now the system is completely denying the facts. It doesn’t even matter now. We don’t know how much time they will take. If we go by their speed, it will take them year’s altogether!” said another affected resident from Iram Colony, Natipora.
A BSNL contractor, Idrees has been assigned the job to boar the wires 10feet deep into to ground.
“After floods, the ground near that area has become soft and that made it easy for the thieves to steal.”
Pertinently the BSNL subscribers across Jammu and Kashmir have criticising the government run cellular company for providing poor cellular connectivity and irritant broadband service. The angry subscribers said the service of BSNL has gone from bad to worse over past some weeks largely.
Ishfaq Ahmad, a subscriber, from City’s Bhag-e-Mehtaab area, said that poor connectivity, call drops, weak signal and other irritants have become perennial problems with BSNL service.
“The internet connectivity in my area is simply pathetic,” Ahmad said.
He said that consumers not only have to suffer because of erratic service but BSNL hardly makes an attempt to make people aware as to what is wrong with service. There is hardly any accountability and when you call customer service, the agent on the only line has hardly any clue. “This is highly pathetic of this government-run service provider who claims to be the leading telecom operators,” he said.
Another customer from Humhama, said: “This area has perhaps been forgotten by the BSNL. The service here remains too feeble that often I have to come out of my house to get make an important call,” he said.
The customers said to their utter disappointment there “is no one to pay heed to our grievances.”
“For every single call one has to make several attempts. When the call gets connected it drops just a few seconds after. That means for a single call you have to pay for three or four calls,” said Abdul Latief, a customer from Safakadal.
Subscribers said that despite stiff competition from the private mobile service providers, the BSNL service has not shown any signs of improvement rather it has become more ‘irritable’.
“We are disappointed with the poor BSNL services, during past few weeks situation has become horrible as despite repeated attempts, calls made from cell phones fail to materialize. We could only hear a recorded voice saying ‘the number does not exist, please check the number you have dialled’ and ‘the number you have dialled is out of coverage area,” said BSNL subscribers.
Despite BSNL being the first cellular service provider in J&K and having largest postpaid customer base across the state, the company, according to the subscribers, has failed to come up to the expectations of the users here.
SKIMS liver transplant unit in ‘limbo’
Painful to see salvageable liver failure patients dying due to mess in SKIMS: DAK
Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today accused that Shere-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) authorities have failed to operate liver transplant unit which was sanctioned so that patients from state need not to visit outside for liver transplantation.
Liver transplant unit was approved for SKIMS in 2013 and since then nothing has been done to make this life saving unit functional.
President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement alleged that it was painful to see salvageable liver failure patients dying due to lack of liver transplant facility which has been hanging in limbo.
Governing body of SKIMS in its 40th meeting sanctioned the yearly grant of RS One crore for placement of trained staff to kick-start liver transplant unit.
But SKIMS authorities showed no interest to start the unit and no infrastructure was put in place and no staff was trained.
“It is ironical that the space which was designated for liver transplant unit has been converted into chambers for consultants,” DAK president alleged.
“Even the services of two trained liver transplant surgeons have not been utilized and one of them has submitted his resignation as his skill was wasted,” he said.
The issue of liver transplant is not being even discussed at any platform and SKIMS authorities seem to be unwilling to start the unit.
“Despite legal and religious support for organ donation, except for some cosmetic measures, no serious efforts were made to generate awareness among people to encourage them for organ donation which is central to liver transplantation,” Dr Hassan alleged.
“Patients with liver failure and end-stage liver disease are on rise in Kashmir and the only viable option for them is liver transplantation.”
Liver transplant is the replacement of a diseased liver with some or all of a healthy liver from a live or a cadaveric (brain dead) donor.
The availability of liver transplantation has transformed the lives of patients with advanced liver disease, but in Kashmir they continue to be in despair and seem to have no hope of survival.
