No more telegrams from next month
The advent of technology brings an end to the age-old service.
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| (Photo: frrole.com) |
With the advent of technology and newer means of communication in the form of smart phones, emails and SMS, the BSNL has decided to discontinue the 160-year-old telegraph service from July 15.
As per a circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, Sr. General Manager (Telegraph Services) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Corporate office, New Delhi, the telegraph service is to be discontinued with effect from July 15, 2013.
The circular sent to various telecom district and circle offices as per the instruction of a competent authority denotes that telegram services will be closed and as a result all telegraph offices under the management of BSNL will have to stop booking telegrams from the said date.
The circular has also directed the telecom offices to maintain the log books, service messages, delivery slips only for six months from the date of bookings.
However, complaints, press reports and other messages from different consumer forum are to be kept for one year.
"We had asked the government to support the service as it was not commercially viable and the government said the BSNL board should decide on it,” Sources at BSNL in Delhi said.
"We have taken a decision to close the service after consultation with the Department of Posts. They also said that there are better options available," the sources said.
The BSNL has instructed that surplus telegraph staff members would be deployed to mobile services, landline telephony, broadband services and shifting could take place within the next 3 months.
Faced with declining revenues, the government had in May 2011, revised the telegram charges after a gap of 60 years.
The telegram charges for inland services were hiked to 27/50 rupees from 3/50 rupees, 4/50 rupees earlier.
Two months ago, telegram services for overseas communication were withdrawn by BSNL.
Source: IBN Live
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