Consumer Commission Pulls Up BSNL Over 2-Year Landline Disconnection

The Kangra District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited to pay ₹15,000 in compensation and restore the landline connection of an 83-year-old retired engineer. The commission held the public-sector telecom company responsible for a deficiency in service after the connection remained disconnected for more than two years.

The complaint was filed by Bharat Bhushan Bharmera, a retired BSNL Sub-Divisional Engineer who was entitled to a concessional, rent-free landline connection. He alleged that the company disconnected the service and failed to restore it despite receiving payment of the outstanding dues. The prolonged disconnection left him without the benefit available to him as a retired employee.

The consumer commission found that BSNL had disconnected Bharmera’s landline without providing prior notice. It also held that the company’s failure to reconnect the service after the dues had been cleared was unjustified. The commission concluded that these actions amounted to deficient service under the legal protections available to consumers.

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The order was passed by a bench comprising commission president Hemanshu Mishra and members Arti Sood and Narayan Thakur. Allowing Bharmera’s complaint, the bench directed BSNL to restore his landline and pay ₹15,000 as compensation for the inconvenience and hardship caused by the continued lack of service.

The commission gave BSNL 30 days to comply with the restoration direction. If the company fails to reconnect the landline within that period, it will be required to pay Bharmera an additional ₹1,000 for every month of delay. The continuing penalty is intended to ensure timely compliance rather than allowing the disconnection to persist after the ruling.

The decision underlines a service provider’s obligation to notify consumers before disconnecting essential communication facilities and to restore them after outstanding payments are settled. It also demonstrates that retired employees receiving concessional services can approach consumer commissions when contractual benefits are denied or when complaints remain unresolved for an unreasonable period.

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