SHILLONG: BJP Vice President and Tura MDC, Bernard N. Marak, on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the prolonged suspension of internet services in the Garo Hills region, stating that the shutdown is severely impacting citizens’ fundamental rights, education, and the local economy.
Marak urged the State Government to immediately restore internet connectivity to help bring normalcy back to the region.
Highlighting the widespread difficulties faced by residents in both urban and rural areas, he said, “The ongoing internet ban in Garo Hills is a suppression of our freedom to access global information.”
He also pointed out that despite consumers continuing to pay for data services, they are being deprived of access, causing significant disruption to daily life as most essential services have shifted online.
He argued that students are among the worst affected, as they are unable to attend online classes, submit assignments, or apply for examinations and scholarships.
Furthermore, he said that businesses, particularly in urban areas, are facing financial losses due to the disruption of digital payment systems.
Marak also stated that rural communities are struggling to access banking services and government welfare schemes, many of which are now managed digitally.
Marak further noted that the implementation of government schemes has been severely hampered, as critical processes requiring online data uploads have come to a halt.
Reiterating his appeal, he stated, “Since customers are paying for these services, I urge the government to restore the internet at the earliest to ensure that normalcy returns to Garo Hills.”
