The first-ever Telephone Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting of telecom district was held recently almost after one and a half years of its formation. It was attended by top officials of the telecom department, including DGM KK Mishra and GM J Ganta, among others.
Several TAC members lodged several complaints, transforming the advisory committee meeting into a grievance redressal forum. MP Majhi raised several issues about the exchange guards who are appointed through contractors with no guaranteed jobs but are assigned to provide security to telephone exchanges having equipment worth crores of rupees.
“Their jobs are not transferable. They have been continuing in the same posts for last 10 to 15 years. Some of them have started behaving like owners of the exchange. As they receive only Rs 183 per day, they indulge in selling diesel of the DG sets and involve in other nefarious activities,” he said and advised the authorities to take necessary steps.
He also pointed out that Wll/MARR equipment had been burgled from villages like Kirmapali, Kurluguda, etc of Nabarangapur district at gun point in broad day light. He advised that security should be stepped up in the BSNl tower units. He also demanded an inquiry and criminal proceedings against the culprits. Besides, he expressed his grave concern about the malfunctioning of the system in many parts of Malkangiri and Nabarangapur.
TAC member Gowri Shankar pointed out that owing to poor services, a large number of BSNl subscribers had switched over to other service providers causing a huge loss to the department. Due to poor services of broadband internet, the industries are facing serious problems in Rayagada, he asserted.
General Manager Ganta said there are pertinent problems like staff shortage for installation, operation, and maintenance of telecom services, low voltage at Nabarangapur, frequent OFC (Optical Fibre Cable) damage in Malkangiri and Rayagada, non-availability of mobile equipment for mobile expansion/growth and spare components for maintenance purpose, etc.
Nevertheless, the TAC members opined that the services provided by the largest provider BSNl are still unsatisfactory and leave much to be desired.