SRINAGAR: As Kashmir Valley, which was hit by devastating floods in September last, limps back to normalcy; it appears the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the largest cellular company is still in deluge. BSNL is the main broadband provider in Jammu and Kashmir.
BSNL with huge staff unlike private cellular companies was the last to restore the phone and internet services to the commercial hub of the Srinagar, Lal Chowk-Dalgate stretch.
Even when it restored the service at snails pace the department failed to maintain it.
Such is the present state of affairs of BSNL in Kashmir that its phone and broadband internet services have now turned a nuisance for the subscribers.
Every day this newspaper is flooded with complaints from BSNL subscribers accusing the company of snapping their internet services are deactivating landlines without any prior intimation. Subscribers are forced to move from pillar to post to get their complaints registered as babus in the department rarely pick up the phone.
Restoration of services takes days together and hectic efforts by the lucky subscribers who manage to persuade a lineman or a petty official to listen to him/her. The BSNL services remained out of order for most of the time since floods with no one from the office ready to listen to our woes. Despite all this the BSNL office is duly charging us and the cellular company authorities make little efforts to rectify the issues that perturb us, a group of subscribers told Kashmir Observer. They have done away with sending bills and yet snap phones without notice, they said.
Muhammad Farooq, a young entrepreneur alleged that the babus and other clerical staff in BSNLs Srinagar and Jammu offices have turned thick-skinned and they seem to be hardly bothered about the inconvenience faced by subscribers despite the fact that the company is charging hefty sums for the erratic services.
A Lal Chowk trader alleged that the BSNL officials have nexus with some private operators and the bad service like low speed broadband is forcing subscribers to leave BSNL in droves and opt for better service provided by some local internet service provider and other major telecom companies.
It is not only the common subscribers who are fuming over the sluggish approach of the BSNL in providing services, but the professional people and newspaper organisations too are facing the brunt.
Kashmir Observer offices remained without broadband services for last two days. The internet service of this office was deactivated without any intimation on Wednesday morning and despite payment of bill on time, the service remained suspended for another 48 hours.
When the issue was brought into the notice of concerned officers they had no answer.
When KO contacted General Manager (GMT) Kashmir Circle on Thursday afternoon, he promised to help restore the service immediately. Five hours later when reminded his response was surprising: “Kya Abhi Restore Nahi Hua”.
A top BSNL official said on condition of anonymity that since there is no accountability in the department post floods, everyone is taking things for granted as they have readymade pretext to shirk the responsibility blaming everything on floods. He admitted that allegations were galore that lack of response was aimed at helping private internet service providers.
Taking strong notice of BSNLs dismal services in Valley, the DC Srinagar in the recent past has summoned the BSNL authorities to his office and warned them of stern action if the services were not restored. Later several civil societies and public forums also castigated the BSNL for taking subscribers for a ride without any remorse.
Even former chief minister Omar Abdullah is on record saying the BSNL has maligned the image of central government in Kashmir.
Omar recently tweeted: If there is a worse ISP than BSNL then I haven’t come across it.
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