BSNL inkspact with Tata Telecom and Reliance Infocomm in Haryana

Chandigarh, Sep 10 (UNI) In order to improve public and domestic telephone connections with a view to connect villages to cities, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has entered into an agreement with Tata Tele Services Limited and Reliance Infocomm for providing telephone services in rural areas in Haryana Service Area.

An official spokesman said today this agreement would be beneficial for health department and educational institutes. As per the agreement, the state government would grant subsidy to these companies. Time limit had been fixed for quicker disposal of applications for telephone connection in rural areas.

As a part of Rural Public Telephone, Village Public Telephone (VPT) Scheme and Community Telephone, Rural Community Phone (RCP) Scheme, any individual could apply for installing a telephone at a public place in his village. After getting the telephone connection, he would have to put a VPT or RCP board mentioning the rate, regulation time, complaint book and phone numbers of ambulance, police and fire brigade, he added.

If the phone installed under this scheme stops functioning, the government would not give any financial help to the telephone company and will also deduct the subsidy for the non-operational period.

He said under a similar Rural Domestic Telephone Scheme, the telephone company would be responsible for ensuring that the telephone was in working condition and a suitable procedure was being followed for the registration of complaints. As per the agreement, the onus of quicker disposal of complaints would lie with the telephone company.

The government help given to the telephone company would be deducted if the services of the company were found unsatisfactory.

The spokesman informed BSNL had provided public telephones connections in almost all the villages of Haryana and the company was getting due financial aid from the government for every single connection, provided the phone was in working condition. He said BSNL was also getting aid for all rural domestic telephone connections installed between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005.

Similarly, financial aid was being given by the government to BSNL for installing Rural Community Telephone connections in Yamunanagar district.

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