Default phone set woe for subscribers

I have been suffering hardships over the past couple of weeks due to a defunct landline telephone instrument of BSNL. At the 476 exchange, I have met officials of the department concerned and lodged my complaint several times. BSNL staff had come and replaced the telephone instrument. But just two days later, the line started getting disconnected in the midst of a call. I lodged another complaint and then my phone went dead. BSNL staff have been very cooperative, but they plead helpless because they are given faulty sets to replace the existing instrument. A friendly, unofficial suggestion from the staff at the exchange was to purchase a telephone instrument of a private company from the market. On inquiry, I came to know that many other subscribers under different exchanges are suffering the same plight. Is it not the duty of BSNL to provide a proper instrument to the subscriber? Instead, it seems BSNL forces the hapless subscriber to purchase a telephone set separately.

Sanjay Chatterjee,
Puddapukur Road.

This is a specific complaint and we are investigating the matter. The telephone instruments are the property of BSNL and like any other gadget have a given life span. Therefore, the faulty telephone instruments are repaired and put to use again until and unless it becomes unserviceable. It is true that BSNL is bound to change the instrument if the subscriber lodges a complaint that it is faulty. The changed set may be a repaired or a new one provided. Any subscriber whose grievance has not been redressed may call 1094 referring to the docket number allotted while lodging the initial complaint at 198. Dialling 1094 reaches the chief general manager?s grievance cell. BSNL also offers a plan allowing subscribers to refuse the telephone instrument provided by BSNL.

A senior official of Calcutta Telephones.