Keypoints:
- The incidents were reported from Mansa, Barnala, Ferozepur and Moga with mobile towers of a particular telecom operator being targeted during the past few days, disrupting their services.
- The vandalism of mobile towers has impacted telecom services across the state, especially Reliance Jio.
- Bundles of jio fibre cables have also been burnt in Punjab.
1,500 telecom towers in Punjab have been destroyed by the protesting farmers during their agitation against the Centre’s farm laws that has been going on for over a month now. The most common way of damaging the telecom towers was to cut off the power supply.
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday warned against vandalisation of the towers and directed strict action against those involved in it.Amarinder Singh said his government has not objected to or stopped peaceful protests in the state against the laws. He underlined damage to property and inconvenience to the citizens cannot be tolerated.
Singh said he will not tolerate the destruction of any private or public property in Punjab and let the state plunge into anarchy. He added nobody can be allowed to take the law into their hands. Singh said his government has not objected to or stopped peaceful protests in the state against the laws. He underlined damage to property and inconvenience to the citizens cannot be tolerated.
So far, 433 towers have been repaired. The state has 2,13,06 mobile towers spread across 22 districts.
Singh said the professionals working from home because of the pandemic could lose their jobs due to such acts of violence and damage to the telecom property.
“The farmers’ agitation had so far been successful and had garnered the support of people from all sections of the society and across the country due to its peaceful nature,” said the chief minister, warning that use of violence could alienate the protestors from the masses which would be detrimental to the interests of the farming community.
“With examinations, especially Board exams, nearing and students dependent on online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such communication breakdown could seriously affect their future,” he said.
“The state government has already distributed 1.75 lakh smartphones to class XII students to equip them for the Board exams, but the vandalisation of telecom property was hampering the students,” he added.
While his government’s sympathies were with the agitating farmers, which was why it had also brought in state amendment bills in the assembly to negate the central government’s legislations, nobody could be allowed to take law and order in their hands, warned the chief minister.
