BSNL cell phone service goes for a toss in Khariar

The Pioneer, May 17, 2010
Biswajit Padhi, Khariar

The BSNL services goes for a spin in this Chhattisgarh-bordering district once the WESCO authorities go for their mandatory load restrictions twice a day.

When the competitor private service providers make more than Rs 10 lakh per minute per tower, the BSNL chooses to lose revenue by its inability to buy diesel to run gensets.

Efforts by this scribe to contact the Bhawanipatna Telecom District Manager (06670232899), under whose jurisdiction this district comes, was busy and was unable to come on the line when an answer was sought from him.

The Nuapada telecom SDO (06678223599) was also not available for comments as the phone is generally never picked up.

Meanwhile, the Junior Engineer here admitted that they do not have adequate supply of diesel to run the gensets during the load restrictions.

“I have sent an indent for purchasing diesel to the Nuapada Telecom SDO and pending sanctions for which we are unable to start the generator during power restrictions for which the mobile service goes for a toss in Khariar,” the JE said.

Inquires by this scribe reveals that the mobile towers at Komna, Tarbod, Budhi Komna and Boden are without a statutory generator when there are more frequent power break downs in the remote areas of the district.

“We are forced to switch to more expensive private service providers because of this hide and seek game of the BSNL,” confided an electronic mediaperson Mayadhar Saraff, adding the Bhawanipatna TDM does not respond to complaints of this district despite under his jurisdiction whereas he only responds to the people of Kalahandi.

Staffs under conditions of anonymity said that they are unable to handle frequent break downs which is beyond their jurisdiction as most mobile operations are centrally controlled by the TDE’s office at Bhawanipatna.

Most importantly, large scale corruption in the laying of Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) is the major reason of the failure.

Sources within the department admit that, all OFC cables are supposed to be laid at least five-foot below the ground whereas most of the cables are laid around two-foot below the ground.

Since all major roads are under construction in and around Nuapada and Bhawanipatna, the excavators employed by the road builders damage the cable, sources informed. Interestingly, Bharati Telecom, which provides AIRTEL services has also laid OFC cables below the ground , but we experience problems only with the BSNL authorities said an exasperated consumer Pabitra Pradhan.

Such is the plight, now BSNL has OFC hanging from trees in most part of the district, added Pradhan.

The broadband connections also fail due to frequent cable damage. Though they provide limited broadband service, the BSNL has never given a rebate in the bill, fumed Lohitaksya, a consumer.

Kalahandi MP Nuapada district representative Gobaradhan Suna has demanded a high-level probe into the corruption in the laying of cables in Nuapada district.

Suna has also appealed to the BSNL authorities to provide alternative route incase of failure in one line so that consumers can get uninterrupted service.