Ranchi, Nov. 19: The Jharkhand circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to introduce pre-paid scheme in landline telephone connections.

The scheme is likely to come into effect from December 1. Under the scheme, a subscriber will have to pay a fixed reduced rental of Rs 160 per month. The subscriber will get free incoming calls, while for making any outgoing call h/she will have to first dial the code written on the pre-paid voucher before dialling the destination number.

“This will be like a VCC (Virtual Calling Card) used for making STD or ISD calls. We are finalising the denominations in which these vouchers will be available,” said a BSNL official.

The official said there have been several complaints of excess billing. “These complaints have increased specially after the introduction of ‘95’. However, in most of the cases the complaints are found to be wrong,” the official said.

“After the introduction of ‘95’, it has become easier for the people to access phone numbers in Jharkhand and Bihar regions. In several cases, the telephone is misused by family members or neighbours which is not noticed by the subscriber.”

BSNL officials said the pre-paid scheme would put an end to the problem of excess billing.

Connectivity problem: The subscribers of BSNL mobile phones are facing connectivity problems during peak hours, reports our Daltonganj correspondent.

Sources said BSNL had expanded its network in the Palamau division without adequate technical backup.

BSNL had stopped providing new SIM cards from October 10. But they were available in Daltonganj market. Sources alleged that brokers in connivance with unscrupulous BSNL officials were selling the SIM cards in the open market. A local businessman said a SIM card was available for Rs 1,500.

On the illegal supply of SIM cards, Palamau telecom district manager Arvind Prasad said: “We have stopped providing SIM cards from October 10 in Palamau and from November 10 in Garwah district. The middlemen must have purchased the SIM cards from other districts and selling them here at high rates.”

On the connectivity problem during peak hours, Prasad said this was due to the ongoing work on the mobile switching centre in Ranchi. He promised that the problem would be resolved within 10 days.