The constant pass-the-buck game between Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) does not seem have an end. In the last seven months from July 2008 to January 2009, the number of dead BSNL telephone lines has gone up to 52,460 from its previous number of 24,430 recorded in the span of 15 months starting from April 2007 to July 2008.

This came to light in a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) enquiry filed by civic activist Vivek Velankar on February 27. BSNL has apparently stopped the maintenance of underground cables thanks to the 'exorbitant' digging permission and royalty charges by PMC.

"When I asked a senior official of BSNL about this unusual rise in the telephones going dead, he categorically stated that they had stopped doing the maintenance of underground cables as PMC is collecting exorbitant charges per metre. The official even stated that there could be problem during coming election days as well," Velankar said.

A senior BSNL official told The Indian Express under the condition of anonymity, "In the first place, we have been constantly complaining about the lack of communication on PMC's behalf before digging roads, which is proving to be a nuisance to us and ultimately to our customers. Now we have been asked to pay a royalty charge of Rs 2,500 per metre besides Rs 1,500 for the permission. This is proving very expensive to us, which is why we cannot carry out the maintenance work properly," he said.

Velankar added, "The number of dead phones must be the highest in any single city in India. BSNL cannot blame the PMC for everything. Consumers are least concerned about these issues between BSNL and PMC and therefore, whatever disputes they have within themselves should be taken to proper forum and get resolved, but making poor consumer a scapegoat is not justified and tolerable."