A demand to improve mobile services network was raised in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, with a Congress member saying things have not improved despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi directing departments concerned to address the issue in 2018. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, KC Ramamurthy (Cong) said the mobile service network has turned pitiable and “one fails to understand whether mobile was a boon or a bane”. “Even MPs are unable to communicate with the people in the constituency”, he said and added such a situation prevails despite the prime minister in September 2008 taking the call drop issue seriously and talking about it in the Pragati initiatives. He said rules and regulations in this regard were not being implemented and demanded an immediate solution to the problem. V Vijaisai Reddy (YSR Cong) demanded that spinning mills in Andhra Pradesh be revived as they are facing problems on account of 25 per cent rise in cost of production. He said the Cotton Corporation of India was behind the artificial price rise as it was hoarding cotton. He demanded proper infrastructure for promoting spinning mills, saying fine products were acclaimed worldwide including in Europe. Ram Shakal (BJP) demanded a railway line to Sonbhadra while Hussain Dalwai (Cong) demanded immediate action against those involved in illegal construction in Mumbai Municipal Corporation area saying only about 4,000 cases were taken up against over 76,000 cases. Elamaran Karim (CPI-M) raised the issue of Aanganwadi workers and workers of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and demanded that their stipend be increased. Sampatiya Ukey (BJP) demanded an immediate ban on plastic, saying its use has become a major crisis and was affecting environment as well as human life. Shambhaji Chhatrapati (BJP) demanded that farmers who had given their land for high tension towers should be compensated like those whose land was acquired for construction of national highways.
