Digital India vs BSNL

BSNL Headquarters, Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his team, and the government at large are trying to push India ahead and Digital India program is a vital step towards developed India. BSNL is the main government company for providing telecom and internet services. BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) is in the lineage of the oldest (and the only) telecom company of India with huge infrastructure and budgetary support of Central government. However, working of BSNL is not satisfactory.

Most of the private telecom companies provide landline and internet connection at a very fast pace and normally activate internet connection within 48 hours in urban areas. Whereas BSNL asks the time of 15 days to activate an internet connection (based on a landline). How can it compete with private telecom companies and how can dream of Modi Ji will be fulfilled with this sluggishness?

An incident happened with me today, at Sanganeri gate office, Jaipur. My wife has tried to apply for the internet connection and faced so many red tapism and large numbers of documentation. The concerning person told that he can not accept the application today as the system was not working (After completing all formalities!). Moreover, they told that it would take 15 days to activate the connection, seven days for the landline and another seven days for internet connection.

If this is the situation in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan - what can be happening in rural areas? We have to pay serious attention to mobilizing BSNL and make the company agile.  It is shameful that large numbers of people say about corruption in BSNL.

I messaged through the internet and also called today Mr. Ravishankar Prasad, the telecom minister of India, to report the incident. It was a pleasing experience that he acknowledged that he got my message and would work on it. Thanks to Mr. Ravishankar Prasad in anticipation.

Jyoti Kothari
Convener, Jaipur division
Prabhari, West Bengal,
Narendra Modi Vichar Manch

Photo curtsy: (By KuwarOnline (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)