Dec. 19: Years of experience in handling disgruntled customers have made telecom service provider BSNL a master in at least one fine art — that of shifting responsibility for poor service and dumping it all on cable thieves.
The problems may be varied — breakdown in mobile connectivity, bad network, error in connections — but the answer for it all is constant — “the optic fibre cable had been cut by miscreants”.
When it comes to playing pass-the-buck, there is no beating BSNL. Tired of the appalling service and lame excuses, BSNL customers in Dibrugarh are now increasingly switching to private service providers.
“There is no other option. After all, there is also a limit to making complaints. I have decided to disconnect my three BSNL mobile phones and switch to a private operator,” Ashok Agarwalla, a businessman, said.
But one question that the BSNL authorities have failed to answer is why the optic fibres which the telecom company had hired from Oil India Limited (OIL) has not been extended beyond Nagaon.
A BSNL official here said manpower crunch is also a reason for poor services.
“There are several vacancies for the post of junior telecom officers, who look after the base tower stations. Services will continue to be erratic till these posts are filled up,” said the official.
Consumers, however, refuse to buy this explanation.
“Agreed, that the optic fibre cables might be cut and there is a manpower crisis. But why does the BSNL not not concentrate on extending the optic fibres it hired from OIL beyond Nagaon? Does the BSNL’s Assam telecom circle stop at Nagaon? Does the BSNL take enough care that the optic fibre cable is laid according to norms? I have my doubts,” says Madhukar Khemka, a chartered accountant.
Sources allege that a section of corrupt BSNL officials, who offer the contracts for laying optic fibre cables, have a tacit nexus with contractors and the police.
They allow cables to be laid in a manner which makes it easy for thugs to steal them.
General manager of Dibrugarh subsidiary switching area, S. Maity, however, promised that services would improve in the coming year.
