Applicants demonstrate in front of the BSNL general manager?s office demanding distribution of Excel prepaid SIM cards. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, June 13: Patience running thin, a group of over 200 applicants of Excel pre-paid SIM cards today staged a demonstration in front of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) office in Baradwari, demanding immediate distribution of the cards.

The applicants, grouping under the banner of Jharkhand Yuva Morcha, a youth wing of the JMM, threatened to lock the general manager?s office next week if the SIM cards were not distributed immediately.

?We had deposited Rs 500 for the Excel SIM card in June last year. But, till now we have not got it. Over 40,000 people in the steel city and its adjoining localities had applied for the service. If they cannot provide us the SIM cards, they should return us our money with interest. We are going to make this a major issue in the days to come,? said an applicant.

The agitating applicants later submitted a four-point memorandum at the general manager's office. The highlights of the memorandum included immediate release of Excel SIM cards, return of applicants money with interest and ensuring smooth mobile connectivity in the city and its adjoining areas.

BSNL officials of Jamshedpur circle assured the aggrieved applicants that the Excel SIM cards would be distributed in August this year. Out of total 42,200 applications, about 10,000 SIM cards were distributed in September last year. The rest were kept in the waiting list.

?Every time the BSNL authorities are contacted about the Excel SIM cards they reply in the positive saying that the cards would be made available soon. But, we have been waiting for the last one year for the service,? said another applicant.

Deputy general manager (administration) Aloke Bharti told The Telegraph that there was no dearth of Excel SIM cards. ?We have adequate stock of SIM cards. But, due to non-availability of equipment we are facing problems in enhancing the capacity of the mobile base transmission towers,? said Bharti.

He added that they have been informed that necessary equipment has landed at New Delhi and it will reach the city in the next couple of days. ?We have taken up the matter of road permit with our counterparts in New Delhi and we are hopeful that the equipment required for capacity enhancement will reach here soon, ? he said.

Meanwhile, sources in BSNL informed that conversion of the network system from Ericcson to Nortel is also contributing in the delay of distribution of Excel SIM cards in the city.

General manager (mobile) Biswajeet Paul said once the capacity of the mobile base transmission towers is enhanced, they would be able to provide another one lakh Excel pre-paid connections.

?The subscribers should keep patience. We are taking all necessary initiatives to ensure that the pre-paid SIM cards are distributed by August this year,? he said.