GJM’s non- payment strategy boomerangs; BSNL takes legal support for bill recovery

Mukesh Sharma Kalimpong, April 01: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has sought legal support in order to recover their pending bills from their customers in the hills. It may be mentioned that bills amounting up to 14 crores remains unpaid which have been pending since the time of the Gorkhaland agitation called on by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) few years ago.

 Time and again the BSNL had set up recovery camps in the hills in which the customers were advised on how to repay their bills. Thus, after no fruitful results the company has now started issuing demand notices to all the BSNL customers throughout the hills through the company’s advocate, Ratan Kumar Bagchi. 

 A similar demand notice was received by a BSNL customer in Kalimpong sub division today, mentioning that if the bills are not cleared within 15 days of the issued notice, then legal action will be taken and the customer will be liable and responsible for all cost and expenses which may be incurred by the BSNL for the action. The customer who received the notice had an outstanding amount of Rs 63,560/- which remained to be cleared. 

The notice highlighted that the customer have willfully failed and neglected to make payment. The BSNL is now entitled to get interest at the rate of 18% on and from the due date of bills till realization of the entire amount. The customer has been warned that failing to pay the amount within 15 days of the issued notice, the BSNL shall henceforth take legal actions and attach the customer’s properties for recovery of the said sum along with the interest rate.

 “We are compelled to take legal help as the bills remain unpaid since long”, said SC Banik, a BSNL officer when contacted. He added that the company had issued many notices regarding the issue but no heed was paid to it. Banik informed that some of the bill amounts up to Rs 30,000, while some are of Rs 4 lakhs. The bills were duly paid until the agitation after which the GJM had directed the public not to pay the bills.

 When asked the GJM General Secretary, Binay Tamang regarding the same he said that an inquiry will be carried out over the matter. With the huge amount remaining to be cleared and BSNL issuing the demand notice, the customers are now tensed over the situation and are awaiting a strong step from the GJM for solving the issue,