BSNL line on the brink of closure in Kurseong

SNS, The reason of non-payment of bills have forced authorities to shut down their major BSNL mobile tower (Base Trans-receiver Station) in Kurseong which has caused BSNL mobile services users a lot of different problems, for the past several months. 

It was learnt that a major BSNL tower situated at Eagles Crag in Kurseong has been closed down by the Kurseong Municipality due to non-payment of dues for the past eight months.

Sources also said that the municipality has increased the rent of leased land multiple times which is delaying payment as the amount is huge.   

One, Mr Bhusan Chettri, resident of Kurseong said: "For the past few months, the BSNL network is very poor in and around Kurseong town and frequently it either terminates or gets disconnected, in the midst of conversations."

When asked, the BSNL, SDE (GROUP) Kurseong, Mr Ashwini Kumar Singh, said: "We know that BSNL users in Kurseong and its adjoining areas have been facing network problems as our main tower situated at Eagles Crag under Kurseong sub-division area was shut down by the municipality due to non-payment of the rent dues." 

He also said that efforts are on by the department to clear the accumulated bills. "However, we have been giving proper services to the common people by making use of our other BTS (Base Trans-receiver Station)," he said. 

The Kurseong Municipality chairman, Mr Samir Dip Blon, said: "So far, we have not received accumulated dues from the BSNL Department, Kurseong. Even if the defaulting department gives us a portion of the collected dues and the rest on easy installments, we would accept it as we need their services to resume normally as generally the common people are the sufferers."

Mr Blon denied that the rate of rent has increased as it is the same old rate. 

The Municipality Tax and Revenue department officer, Mr Pritam Chettri, said that dues are pending from 1st December 2006 and till March 2013 the total dues have reached Rs 11, 83,500. The rental charge per month is Rs 15,000 for the land leased on the terms and conditions of the Kurseong Municipality.