Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli   

BSNL officers' stir earns wrath of public, traders

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUNELVELI, MARCH 23. The disruption of telecommunication services of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited in the wake of the `work-to-rule' agitation by the executives of BSNL has earned the wrath of many here. The subscribers are up in arm against `wanton disruption by the BSNL staff.'

While a consumer association here has promised to guide and support subscribers seeking compensation from the BSNL, some of the welfare associations have geared up for counter-agitations against the BSNL if the problem persists.

Taking a relatively peaceful way to air their grievance, the Tirunelveli District Small and Tiny Industries Association (NELTSIA) has sought the immediate intervention of the Chief General Manager of BSNL, Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle. In a memorandum to the CGM, the president of NELSTIA, D.S.M. Jayarajan said the services of BSNL CellOne in Tirunelveli Telecom Circle was far from satisfactory for the past few days and no BSNL mobile phone could be contacted.

Though the matter was taken up with the CGM immediately after the stir, no action had been taken so far, thus causing hefty losses to the traders and loss of business opportunities. "Restoration of uninterrupted service is the most urgent need of every BSNL subscriber."

Demand for compensation

However, the Tamil Nadu Peoples Consumer Federation has demanded that the BSNL compensate its customers for the total disruption of its telecommunication services. In a representation to the General Manager, BSNL, Tirunelveli Telecom Circle, V. Raju, the secretary of the federation, S. Jafer Ali, said the subscribers had every right to claim compensation from the BSNL as the administration of the telecom major miserably failed to ensure uninterrupted services to its customers.

Mr. Jafer Ali, an advocate, has already sent a legal notice to the BSNL administration here in this regard.

He said, his forum would support and guide those seeking compensation from the BSNL administration, "which remains a mere spectator to all these negative developments". Mr. Ali said he had contacted several consumer associations across the State in this connection.

Counter-agitation

Meanwhile, a group of welfare associations here have planned to launch district-wide counter-agitations against the BSNL if the problem persisted. They urged the subscribers of the BSNL to surrender their landline and mobile phone connections immediately in protest against its "ineptness" to ensure uninterrupted telecommunication services.

"Since this public sector company could not provide us better services even after the private players entered the arena, our members have decided to surrender the landline and mobile phone connections en-masse to teach a fitting a lesson to the BSNL administration and its agitating employees," said an office-bearer of the Tirunelveli - Palayamkottai Traders' Association.

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