MSEDCL cuts supply to BSNL offices in Koregaon Park over Rs 2.84L dues, residents irked

Users of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) services in Koregaon Park were irked with the disruption in communication since Monday, after darkness descended on the offices of the telecom operator for not paying pending electricity bills.

Internet services (using a broadband) and telephones lines were affected after Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) discontinued power surge to the BSNL tower which provides network connectivity to the Koregaon Park area, over non-payment of electricity dues amounting to Rs 2,84,000.

Residents who looked to file complaints, received no response from BSNL, as to when the services will be restored.

“We discontinued the power supply to two unit offices of BSNL in Koregaon Park, for non-payment of dues. We cut the power supply to one nodal office on October 26. This nodal office of the BSNL owes MSEDCL Rs 1,70,000 while the second office which gives power surge to the network tower was switched off on November 25 as the office owes Rs 1,14,000 to MSEDCL,” said Bharat Pawar, deputy chief PRO, MSEDCL. 

Filing complaints has been a one-way communication, residents allege. “The entire telephone exchange is down, my landline is dead. It is a very appalling situation as the internet too is not operational since Monday. I have made numerous calls to the helpline number, but there has been no response from the BSNL officials. We are very disappointed with the customer service. I have a senior citizen at home and my father relies entirely on the landline for communication purposes. With the telephone lines down, he is presently completely cut off from any kind of communication,” said Ameya Sirur, communications executive and a resident of Koregaon Park, Lane E. 

For Koregaon Park resident and consultant Neeraj Khorana, he cannot work without a landline or internet connection. “I run a recruitment agency and my direct line has been non-operational since Monday. This is affecting my business and we are totally dependent on the BSNL landline for both the telephone communication and internet. When the services of either of them is disrupted, my work comes to a standstill,” said the managing partner of the Cinque Consulting Consortium. 

When contacted BSNL central PRO Ashish Pathak, who operates from Delhi, said he was unaware of the situation in Pune and will respond as soon as he has some details of the problem.