BSNL's employees scheme a huge success says CGM

Shimla, Oct 3 (UNI) Terming the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) employee scheme a huge success with 31,200 subscribers in a single closed user group (CUG), Himachal Pradesh Chief General Manager Srikant Sharma today said it was the world's biggest in terms of subscribers.

''The scheme, which was likely to continue till December had to be called off a few months ahead of schedule following huge rush for it,'' he said at a press conference here after inaugurating the fixed line prepaid service (FLPP) for the state telecom circle.

Mr Sharma claimed the BSNL's Himachal circle's CUG was the world's biggest with over 31,200 subscribers.

The FLPP service was initially being introduced for STD/ISD and local PCOs and would be extended to general public in a phased manner, he said.

He said under the scheme, a single call would cost Rs 1.20 per minute and would relieve the customer and BSNL of the pain of depositing monthly bills, as of now.

It also provides an opportunity to the customers to avail FLPP service on a telephone line provided by the BSNL, he said, adding that it could be recharged at will.

The CGM said the number of fixed landline telephone connections have increased to 8.10 lakh from 2.97 lakh since its inception six years ago. ''The number also includes three lakh mobile connections.'' The BSNL's network was now available in all the 12 district headquarters, 72 tehsils out of a total of 75, and 49 sub divisions out of a 51, he said.

Mr Sharma said the Nigam has also erected 421 mobile towers in different parts of the state, while the process was on to add another 90 towers in the near future.

The tele-density of the state has also increased to 842 from 575 and this was without the three lakh mobile numbers, he said.

He said by March 2007, next year, BSNL would provide mobile service to all the 174 identified villages of the state with a population of over 2,000, while the service was already available in 163 villages.

The reach of the broadband internet service would be increased to over 100 habitations in the state in the next few months, besides increasing the number of its customers to over 8,000 from 3,000 at present, he added.

UNI AS PS DKS VC1920