On behalf of President, BJP District Unit, Lower Subansiri District, Ziro a legal notice has been served to SDO, BSNL Ziro to refund the the rental charges paid by BSNL consumers' of the District, for the period when the service was not available, within 15 days from the date of issue of the notice which was served on 22nd of October. The four point notice states that:
1. That the Mobile and WLL Telephone is not functioning in the Lower Subansiri District since 14th June 2008 till date. The Mobile and WLL Telephoone users have been charged monthly rent at the rate of Rs. 225/- for Mobile, Rs. 100/- for WLL Telephone, service tax @ 12% without providing service and education cess @3% per month for the period from June to till date without providing services to the consumers. The consumers have paid the monthly rent charges on demand even without the getting services out of fear of disconnection. But the BSNL has no right to charge monthly rent without providing services to the consumers.
2. That the monthly rent charged from the Mobile phone and WLL Tlelphone users for the defunct period is deserved to be exempted and they are entitled to be repaid by the BSNL.
3. That it has been found that call charges are also charged for the defunct period without making any call by the users. The Mobile and WLL Telephone users have paid it out of fear of disconnection. It is illegal to charge call charges without making call.
4. That the monthly rent charged from the Mobile phone and WLL Telephone users are deserved to be repaid without further delay and Mobile phone and WLL Telephone network be restored immediately.
Further, the notice warns that BSNL would attract legal proceedings in the event of failure to refund the rental charges. Find copy of the notice here.
This notice comes in the wake of intermittent or rather nil service provided by the service provider since June 14th last when the mobile connectivity of Ziro exchange of BSNL was disrupted reportedly due to the torrential rain and subsequent landslide that flushed away the OFC connecting Ziro exchange with Itanagar exchange. Since then, no sincere effort has been/was forthcoming from BSNL side to restore the mobile service. The mobile network would be up intermittently only for 10-15 mins, that too after gap of 3-4 days. However, despite no service, it was made sure that the mobile bills were raised and served to the consumers' on time claiming rental charges, which made one wonder, rental charges for what? For luxury of having BSNL's SIM card without being able to put it into use?
Now, it has to be seen if this notice would jostle BSNL to take the restoration business seriously and if the poor consumers' would be freed from the misery of having mobile connections without any connectivity and from payment for no service.
Related reading:
Rants on BSNL Service at Ziro-Hapoli
i wonder if there has been any result of the notice.
If you are asking about refund of rental charges for the period when network was down, I'm not sure if it has been refunded yet and if you are asking if the network has improved..then a big NO...it is as intermittent as before :(
It is really bad. I hardly talk to my wife who is posted there recently...No landline yet.
Guys any idea about internet connection there?
Bomken,
Sorry to know that you are not able to talk to your wife courtesy BSNL :(
Regarding Internet connection, it is also as intermittent as the mobile connection. You can access both the dial-up and broadband connections as long as mobile network is there otherwise both are inaccessible. The reason as put forward by BSNL authorities-the internet server at Itanagar being connected by OFC link which also caters to Mobile network.
To be blunt, nothing will happen. Everything will be as usual, "network out of reach, network busy" or simply death. People of Ziro should have long forgotten about what is Telephone (not mobile its a luxury, & we are taking about refund) but for their perseverance. ALL THIS GOING TO COURT & LAW IS JUST A POLITICAL JOKE. But hey! politics makes us marry go round! 'am I a pessimist!!
Taj,
"ALL THIS GOING TO COURT & LAW IS JUST A POLITICAL JOKE"
I agree to some extent...guess who has served the notice...it's not any consumer but a political unit on behalf of consumers'. So, are they preparing for forthcoming assembly elections, huh! ;)
thats news and a good thing.. i believe the litigants will have more clout than any other ordinary person.
if they can't get anything out of it, maybe we just ran out of luck. do you disagree? :/
More clout or not...that will only be known, when the network problem is resolved and consumers' are refunded their dues...let's see what will come out of it. So, far haven't heard if the dues are being refunded or BSNL has been dragged to the court.