China Installed Mobile Tower 'Very Close' To Indian Border: Official

After China constructed a bridge over the Pangong lake in Ladakh, a senior official of the Chushul region has claimed that it has now installed mobile towers near its side of the border.

Chushul Councillor Konchok Stanzin in a tweet flagged the issue and claimed that three mobile towers have been installed near China's hot spring very close to the Indian territory.

"After completing the bridge over Pangong lake, China has installed three mobile towers near China's hot spring very close to the Indian territory. Isn't it a concern? We don't even have 4G facilities in human habitation villages. 11 villages in my constituency have no 4G facilities," Stanzin said.

Speaking to ANI, the Councillor said pointed out that the towers could be used to observe our territory and communicate details. He also claimed that China is "doing rapid infrastructure development" on its side of the border.

Urging the government to equally counterattack China's move in terms of development, Stanzin alleged that in maximum border villages, India does not 4G internet service. "In my constituency, out of 12, 11 villages do not have 4G internet facilities. We should take it seriously. We are lagging in the communication facility. We only have one mobile tower whereas on their side, they have nine towers," he said.

In February this year, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had informed the Lok Sabha a bridge was being constructed by China on Pangong lake in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since 1962, adding that the Government of India has never accepted this "illegal" occupation.

In the summer of 2020, the Ladakh border standoff between India and China erupted following a clash of the Armies in the Pangong area. The situation escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes in June the same year.

Both the countries shave held 15 rounds of talks for disengagement to defuse the tensions in the area. As a result, India and China have disengaged their troops in the Gogra Heights area of eastern Ladakh. The troops of the two sides also disengaged in Pangong Lake area in February last year.

Meanwhile, the Centre scrapped provisions of Article 370 that had given Jammu and Kashmir special status and split it into two Union territories (UTs) under the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019. For Ladakh, it may be a welcome move as the region has suffered for the last seven decades due to neglect. Its new status as a Union territory might not only boost development but also create jobs in the region.

(With Inputs from ANI)

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