BSNL disconnects landline phones of defaulter police stations, offices

Our Correspondent

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Phagwara, October 24

Key investigating officers and police stations have become virtually out of reach for people in Phagwara as the Police Department has failed to deposit bills of the landline phones of their respective police stations and other offices for the past several months.

People are facing difficulty in reporting several incidents to different police stations as the landline number of the police stations have been disconnected by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, (BSNL) due to the failure of the Police Department to clear the dues.

This correspondent learnt that though Phagwara Sub Jail had been closed three months back and the inmates were shifted to Kapurthala, the number (261098) of DSP sub-jail is said to be out-of-service due to non payment of the bill of Rs 3,746 lying pending, which could not be deposited by the sub-jail authorities before shifting the jail.

The landline connection of the DSP Office Phagwara (270093) was disconnected as the department had failed to deposit an amount of Rs 2,524. As per the BSNL rules, a telephone line is supposed to be disconnected if bill amount is not paid within 35 days of the issuing date.

It is impossible for the people to contact city or Sadar police station Phagwara as landline number of City Police Station(264840) has been disconnected for not depositing a bill of Rs 3,545 and the number of Sadar Police Station (270208) has been disconnected as the bill of an amount of Rs 5,339 has not been deposited.

The landline connection of the CIA staff has also been snapped (264872) as a bill of Rs 1,127 has not been deposited. The phone number of Panchhat Police Station (246283) has been disconnected for not paying the bill of Rs 2,350. Similar is the case with that of the Rawalpindi Police Station (252699) for Rs 2718.

Similarly, the landline number of ADC Phagwara (220087) has been lying disconnected for not depositing the bill of Rs 1,224 only. The landline number of STP (North) 278086 and two numbers of Water Supply Department (262580 and 262044) are also lying dead due to non payment of bills.

When contacted, SDO Telephones PS Jassi confirmed it and said the defaulter departments should submit official letters in this regard to avoid disconnections.

When contacted, ASP Phagwara Sandeep Malik said the disconnected landline telephone would be resumed at the earliest. He also said the police control room number, (100 and 112) besides the mobile phone of all SHOs, were already working round-the-clock. People may contact the police on these numbers till the landline services are restored.

What the BSNL rules say

The landline connection of the DSP Office, Phagwara, among others, (270093) has been disconnected as the department had failed to deposit an amount of Rs 2,524. As per the BSNL rules, a telephone line is supposed to be disconnected if the bill amount is not paid within 35 days of the issuing date.