Guwahati: Residents of the strategically important Taksing and Limeking circles in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district have sought better road and mobile connectivity, saying poor infrastructure is hampering daily life in the remote border region.
The concerns have gained attention amid reports of Chinese intrusion in the area, but residents say poor roads and unreliable telecommunications remain major problems.
Located more than 200 km from the district headquarters at Daporijo, Taksing and Limeking remain poorly connected to the rest of the district, according to a report in The Arunachal Times.
Residents said mobile towers in the area frequently remain non-functional, making phone calls, messaging and access to online services difficult.
Tania Chader, a Taksing resident, said poor mobile connectivity often leaves people waiting for hours, and sometimes days, to send basic messages through applications such as WhatsApp.
Chader also questioned the decision not to connect Taksing and Limeking through the Frontier Highway project. He said residents had initially been told that the highway would be constructed around 20 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), but the approved alignment is now around 130 km from Taksing.
He said extending the highway to Taksing and Limeking would improve connectivity and strengthen links to the border region.
Road connectivity is another major concern.
Prakash Hari, a local panchayat leader, said the Daporijo-Taksing road, particularly the stretch between Nacho and Taksing, is narrow and in poor condition. He said residents had repeatedly raised the issue but are yet to see adequate government intervention.
Hari said the condition of the road also affects the movement of Army vehicles and equipment, with some stretches too narrow for two vehicles to pass simultaneously.
The lack of reliable internet and mobile connectivity has also left residents cut off from developments outside the region, Hari said. Army personnel stationed in the area, he added, face similar difficulties in communicating with their families.
Tai Mra, the gaon burha of Galemo village in Limeking circle, located a few kilometres from the McMahon Line, called for the construction of a two-lane highway between Daporijo and Taksing.
Mra said poor road conditions hamper the movement of Army equipment and create difficulties for residents. He also sought better healthcare and educational facilities in the two circles.
Many families are compelled to send their children to Daporijo and Itanagar because of the lack of adequate schools in the area, Mra said. He added that residents often depend on Army doctors during medical emergencies.
Poor internet connectivity has also affected younger residents, particularly those seeking jobs and accessing services online.
Tali Chader, a young villager, said residents often have to travel to Daporijo to apply for government jobs because they cannot reliably access online application platforms from their villages.