Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 6: Internet services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have remained completely snapped in many areas of Jammu during the past two days due to damage to Optical Fiber Cable (OFC). However, the concerned authorities are acting as mute spectator to the sufferings of the subscribers and giving vague replies on the restoration of services.
The internet services of BSNL got snapped in many areas particularly in Janipur localities two days back after its OFC suffered damages due to reckless digging of roads by the private contractors engaged by the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) for sewerage works.
Due to damage to OFC, the working of private establishments and banks, which is entirely dependent on the internet services came to the grinding halt. Even the students, who are pursuing higher education and require internet facility for obtaining information relevant to their studies, suffered immensely because of snapping of internet services.
What added to the sufferings of the subscribers was non-working of internet dongles of other service providers particularly Aircel, whose services are also routed through the lines of the BSNL. Due to this, internet facility remained completely snapped for large population till the filing of this report.
Though the aggrieved subscribers contacted several concerned officers and officials of the BSNL to get information about restoration of services, they only received vague replies like—-“we are on the job and services would be restored shortly” and “we are working till late in the night for repairing damage to OFC but it is difficult to specify time-frame for restoration of internet services”.
Some of the officers, while attributing damage to OFC cables to the unplanned digging of roads by the contractors engaged by the ERA, went to the extent of asking the subscribers to approach the ERA top brass to convey resentment over the functioning of their contractors.
“This is not for the first time that we were forced to face the difficulties…. the internet services get disrupted very often and BSNL’s concerned authorities are least bothered about redressing inconvenience of subscribers”, said a deputation of enraged subscribers, which visited EXCELSIOR office this afternoon.
“They are blaming the unplanned digging of roads for disruption of services but we have never heard about any action taken against those carrying out digging works”, the deputation regretted, adding “it seems that BSNL authorities have completely surrendered before those digging the roads and lanes for different works in reckless manner”.
Some of the members of the deputation event went to the extent of conveying that they are planning to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against BSNL for not taking action against those damaging the OFC cables and putting the subscribers to inconvenience for no fault of theirs.
When contacted, an officer of the BSNL said, “the ERA contractors have damaged OFC cable in several areas and this led to snapping of services”. He, however, failed to explain what steps are being initiated by the BSNL for punishing those responsible for putting subscribers to inconvenience and creating financial loss to the BSNL.
“We generally send communiqués expressing concern over unplanned digging as there is no instruction from the Corporate office for getting FIRs registered against those damaging the cables”, he said.
All this clearly indicates that BSNL is haplessly watching the inconvenience to its subscribers and allowing loss to its exchequer.
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