Visakhapatnam: Tribal workers of Bonguja hamlet in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district are compelled to walk long distances every day just to access a mobile signal for app-based face recognition attendance under the employment guarantee scheme (VB-G RAM G). The village, located in Ananthagiri mandal, has 120 job cards.
Hardship of daily commute
Locals including Seedari David, P. Baburao, Puttaboyina Ganganna, and S. Swami stated that the nearest mobile tower is situated at Puttugannavaram, approximately 12 kilometers away. As a result, about 450 laborers are forced to walk to the tower area, complete face authentication, and then return to their village for work. Even when the actual employment work lasts about five hours, nearly four additional hours are spent just for the attendance process.
Loss of earlier connectivity
The hilltop region used to have better mobile coverage until a few years ago. However, after connectivity shifted to P. Gangavaram, the village has been left without a reliable signal. Even pension beneficiaries now have to travel long distances to access network coverage. Bonguja village already has a school, an Anganwadi centre, and a GCC depot, but lacks basic digital connectivity.
The villagers demand that the government either install a mobile tower in the village or exempt them from face-recognition attendance requirements.
