Darjeeling, Aug. 19: BSNL’s increased rates for sending SMS votes to television talent hunts have the hills up in arms.

Fans of Prashant Tamang and Karma Sherpa, the singers from Darjeeling who have reached the final rounds of Sony’s Indian Idol and Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, will now have to spend Rs 3.50 to vote for them. A text message costs Rs 1.50 and Rs 2 is charged for confirmation that the vote has been registered.

Till last week, the charge was Rs 3, and when the show began around three months ago, it was only Re 1.

BSNL subscribers in Darjeeling, who vote in lakhs for the local boys, are complaining that they had been kept in the dark about the hike in rates.