Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jan 9: In a sharp indictment of the state administration, nine major industrial bodies in Goa have jointly protested against the recurring disruption of internet services caused by the electricity department’s cable-cutting drives, warning that the situation is severely impacting productivity and undermining the Centre’s ‘Digital India’ mission.
In a joint letter addressed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the industry groups expressed deep frustration over what they termed a “deteriorating” situation, stating that repeated assurances by the government to resolve the issue had failed to translate into action.
The industrial bodies pointed out the contradiction between the government’s push for ease of doing business and the frequent connectivity breakdowns faced by enterprises on the ground. “While the government actively promotes investment, businesses are being crippled by recurring internet disruptions,” the letter stated.
“The recurring instances of cable cutting and disruption to internet services have once again become a major challenge,” the statement said, adding that the momentum of the Prime Minister’s vision to empower citizens through stable broadband connectivity “appears to be losing ground in Goa”.
An industry representative said the chief minister had asked the chief secretary to convene a meeting with concerned departments to address the issue. However, the problem persisted, with the electricity department allegedly cutting fibre optic cables in Margao on Wednesday, damaging main feed lines of internet service providers including Allegra, Big Ventures and others.
The disruption affected large parts of Borda, Fatorda, Gogol, Margao town, Aquem and surrounding areas, causing widespread inconvenience to businesses and residents alike.
The signatories to the joint statement include the Goa Technology Association, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, Goa State Industries Association, CREDAI, ASSOCHAM, BNI-Goa, Laghu Udyog Bharati, and the Goa IT Business Association.
Highlighting the lack of coordinated infrastructure planning, the industry bodies stressed that businesses cannot be held hostage to unstable internet connectivity. As a long-term solution, they demanded that internet service providers be directed and supported to lay underground fibre optic cables from major towns, to prevent recurring disruptions.