BSNL network poor in border areas, Aujla in LS

Lok Sabha member Gurjeet Singh Aujla raised the issue of poor telecommunication service in Punjab’s border belt in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, stating that BSNL network infrastructure had weakened significantly, affecting security operations as well as daily communication for border residents.

Aujla said that several villages in Amritsar and other border districts continued to struggle with inadequate network coverage, despite BSNL’s long-standing presence as the most reliable service provider in these areas.

Aujla urged the Centre to immediately revive BSNL through a special support package, upgrading of outdated towers, strengthening of fiber connectivity and urgent recruitment to address staff shortage. He stressed that the communication network in sensitive border zones was not merely a public utility, but an essential pillar of national security, and therefore must be upgraded without delay.

The MP added that Punjab, particularly the Amritsar border region, needed immediate improvement in BSNL towers, fiber links and overall maintenance to ensure uninterrupted communication for both civilians and security agencies.

In its brief response, the Central government stated that the BSNL was currently working on expanding 4G services across the country, including Punjab.