The Hindu : BSNL urged to issue duplicate bills

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 25, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

BSNL urged to issue duplicate bills

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JAN. 24. The Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC), has appealed to the Principal General Manager, BSNL, Coimbatore to look into problems relating to non-receipt of telephone bills dated January 7 and 9, by a lot of subscribers and also to arrange for issuing duplicate bills at the respective telephone exchange itself.

In a memorandum, the CCC Secretary, K. Kathirmathiyon, had thanked the BSNL authorities for introducing a lot of subscriber-friendly initiatives like waiver of charges for detailed billing, charges for releasing the dynamic locking facility.

He also thanked the BSNL for its plans to introduce Answer phone and SMS facility in landlines. Drawing the attention of the authorities towards non-receipt of bills faced by a number of subscribers in Peelamedu, Chinniampalayam and Ramanathapuram areas in general and in other exchanges as well, he pointed out that the last date for payment had been fixed on January 27. Without getting the bills, it would be difficult for the subscribers to make payment within the stipulated date.

Pointing out that January 25 and 26 happens to be holidays, he sought extending the last date at least by a week as an ad-hoc solution to tide over the situation.

In the long run, taking into account the problems involved in delivery of phone bills, Mr.Kathirmathiyon, urged the BSNL to arrange for issuing duplicate bills at the respective telephone exchanges itself, rather than forcing the subscribers to stand in long queues at the PGM office on Bharathi Park Road.

He also drew the attention of the officials towards the non-functioning of the facility to know the bill amount by dialling 1501 or 1502. Mostly the numbers remain non-functional and at times when they become functional, the lines get congested with more subscribers trying to know their bill amount owing to non-receipt of bills. The BSNL should also explore the option of allowing the subscribers to send their cheques by post and for despatching their receipts by post.

The officials should also ensure that the duration of time taken for restoration of disconnected lines was brought down to 48 hours instead of taking a week or more. Utilising the computer network, payment and orders for reconnection should be able to reach the exchanges as soon as possible, he pleaded. Similarly, there was a pertinent need to look at the inordinate delay caused in refunding the deposit money to the subscribers who surrender their phone connections. With the charges for Caller ID facility waived, the BSNL should stop the facility to the subscribers without asking for the bills for the caller ID instrument.

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