Chennai: When people are being hooked to smartphones, a resident in Kilpauk fought with BSNL for three years to get a landline telephone connection. After allotting a telephone number the BSNL had not given him the connection so far. A city consumer forum came to his rescue and directed the public sector firm to provide him with the landline connection in two months.
In the petition S. Anandan, Venkatathri Street, Kosapet, Chennai, submitted that he deposited Rs 500 with BSNL office at Kilpauk, on November 11, 2014, to get a landline telephone connection. BSNL promised to install the connection within a week and also allotted a phone number. However, a link was not given in spite of repeated complaints so far. He lodged a complaint with officials on several occasions. He sent a notice dated February 8, 2016, to the BSNL. As there was no response he filed the petition seeking direction to the public sector firm to pay him a compensation of Rs 2.55 lakh for causing mental agony.
In its reply, the Chief General Manager, BSNL, Chennai Telephones, Purasawalkam, has admitted that it allotted a landline number to him. The firm made efforts to give him the landline connection to him. However, it was not given due to primary cable fault in Venkatathri street. The workers were unable to rectify the cable fault work as a cement road was laid in the street. In view of technical reasons alone, the firm was not able to give connection to the telephone number. The bench comprising President K. Jayabalan and member M.Uyirroli Kannan has stated that the allotment of landline number prima-facie establishes that the BSNL intended to give telephone connection to Anandan.
Before allotting the number BSNL should have verified that the firm would be able to give telephone connection to him or not. Without asserting the position, it allotted telephone number is a deficiency on its part. Further, after one and a half year the complainant issued a notice. Therefore, we hold that the complainant proved the deficiency committed by the BSNL, the bench said. The bench directed the BSNL to give him the connection in two months and to pay him a compensation of Rs 7,000 for committing negligence in service and for causing him mental agony.
