BSNL told to pay Rs 30000 to harried customer

BENGALURU: The disruption in landline and broadband services after an underground cable got damaged during the Smart City Project work taken up by the BBMP made BSNL cough up Rs 30,000 to its customer.

The Third Additional Bangalore Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed BSNL to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation towards deficiency of service, Rs 10,000 for mental agony and suffering, and Rs 5,000 for litigation expenses to V Chandrakanthan, a resident of Shivajinagar. The commission, comprising president K Shivarama, members KS Raju and Rekha Sayannavar, said services are disrupted whenever public development works are carried out by BBMP, BWSSB, Bescom or Gail.

The commission pointed out that the complainant kept paying bills regularly till December 2020, though he did not get the services. Because of lack of service, the complainant suffered mentally, financially and professionally. This amounts to deficiency of service, it added.

The complainant had subscribed to both landline and broadband connection since 2008. The service was good initially. In 2016, the complainant shifted from Tin Factory to Shivajinagar and the problems started, it said. He made several complaints to rectify the defect in the cable, but BSNL failed to resolve it. This halted his office work, making him suffer huge losses, the complainant argued.  

BSNL claimed it received only one complaint in July 2019 and it was addressed. It said there was an interruption in service between August 2020 and October 5, 2020 after an underground cable got damaged due to the Smart City work in that area. Later, the service was restored, claimed BSNL.