BSNL re-connection drive receives applications

HYDERABAD: To win back old customers and woo new ones, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has initiated a Reconnection Mela, which will go on till August 12.  Apart from offering renewal of old connections which were stopped due to non-payment of bills, services such as land line and broadband connections, mobile, EVDO, ITC cards and 3G data cards will also be available, according to Rajeev Aggarwal, AP circle chief general manager.Customers seeking re-connection can pay their dues in easy instalments. "Rather than being listed for credit defaults, it is a great opportunity for customers to renew their connections and settle old bills at instalments as small as `250 per month for an outstanding amount of up to Rs 5,000," said Aggarwal. The old numbers would also be provided to customers on availability.The re-connection drive which began on July 28 has received 22,000 applications so far, with a recovery of Rs 1.2 crore of outstanding dues. An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 connections are being renewed every day. The Reconnection Mela is being held in all telecom districts where stalls have been set up at 700 outdoor locations and customer service centres. Information on the nearest BSNL service centre can be availed by sending an SMS CSC to 9400054141. The schemes launched with respect to land line and cell phones will continue apart from the newly launched universal ITC call-card and broadband services.Detailing the financial performance of the company for the quarter ended on June 30, Aggarwal said the AP circle saw a reduction in operating loss in land line segment from Rs 119.57 crore to Rs 58.49 crore.