BHUBANESWAR: With just a couple of days left to usher in the New Year, thousands of BSNL customers across major cities in the State could not access the internet as company's Internet Room at the Telephone Bhawan here was affected by a fire caused due to electric short circuit on Friday evening.

The BSNL's General Manager (Orissa Circle) said the company engineers would take another four days to restore the internet services. The services that have been interrupted are dial-up, broadband, dias and MPLS VPN.

``The services have been disrupted in all Secondary Switching Areas of the State. The actions to restore the services have been started on a war-footing basis. The services are likely to be restored by January 3," a BSNL statement issued here on Saturday said.

The state has a total of 13 Secondary Switching Areas. The BSNL facilities will not be available in major cities such as Berhampur, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Balasore and Koraput, officials said.

A few angry internet users tried to meet BSNL authorities but the officials refused to make an appearance.

Customers' right

``As the internet has become an essential service these days, the authorities must come out with public notice on status of the service. Customers have every right to know when they can get the access. Instead, officials were keeping themselves busy in board-room meeting,'' C R Tripathy, a BSNL customer, said.

Mr. Tripathy said that when the Telephone Bhawan was being manned round-the-clock howcome the fire could not be detected before it began to spread.

Major equipment safe

The BSNL engineers engaged in restoring the services said the major equipment were not damaged in the fire. Some electric wires might have got melt by flames.

However, a deep coat of carbon formed on sophisticated equipment.

``Until the room is cleaned, nothing can be said. It is premature to say anything on the extent of damage. We have to turn on the machines the first,'' an engineer said.

Meanwhile, routine works in government offices have also been affected due to loss of internet connectivity.

Many, internet café dependent on BSNL broadband services remained closed in the State and users eager to send New Year greetings were seen returning.

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