MTNL fails Mumbai: Frustrated customers abandon service

MTNL building in Delhi. File pic

MTNL Mumbai consumers have been complaining extensively about a lack of redressal and timely response. Many consumers said they would have loved to keep the connection but had to give up due to the company's apathy.

"I was forced to give up my MTNL landline as well as my MTNL mobile numbers after repeated follow-ups with MTNL. They were unable to provide service. Since most MTNL linesmen have been forced to take voluntary retirement, there was no one at MTNL who could understand where the problem was or how to troubleshoot it. Despite complaining repeatedly on the PG Portal, no improvement in service was forthcoming. After porting my mobile numbers to another service provider, MTNL continued to raise bills for a few months. I had to lodge a complaint on the public grievances portal to get these bills cancelled. I would have loved to continue with MTNL broadband as a backup, but I had no choice as the broadband stopped working 8-10 months ago. Now I have to chase them for a full refund of billed amounts, as my bills were paid by electronic clearing system (ECS)," said Robin Viegas, an activist from Vidyanagari Parisar ALM, Kalina.

Robin Viegas, an activist from Vidyanagari Parisar ALM, Kalina

"Try visiting any MTNL office and it feels like a ghost town. It's dark and dingy and feels very unsafe to be there. No one responds to complaints, and MTNL employees have sub-let their work to outsiders. MTNL was a good company but is now in a state of ruin," said a citizen from Mulund.

"In case the lines stop working, only God can save us. This time it was down for a month and even the MTNL website did not work when I tried to complain. I had the manager's number and he did not respond either. The local complaint numbers did not work either. The only people who responded to me were the retired linesmen who had been maintaining the system for the last twenty years. They said recruitment has stopped. There are hardly any office staff in the MTNL offices. These retired personnel are now hired on contract to maintain the lines, and they are not paid on time. The only efficient system they have is the billing system. The bills come on time," said media person Uttam Ghosh.

"Almost the entire Kurla area has been MTNL-free for a decade now. For many years, bills were sent for dead phone lines despite sending letters to terminate the service. Now we hardly know if there are any working numbers elsewhere in the city. Service was too expensive compared to cheaper mobile plans. Plus, there is no staff to attend to complaints," said activist Jitendra Gupta.

"The government has conspired to systematically shut down a good public undertaking. When they came to power in 2014, they said they would revive it, and now they are selling the assets of MTNL. Is this how they plan to revive it?" asked former MTNL employee and now South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant.

BSNL taking over soon

Sources said MTNL, operating only in Mumbai and Delhi, will soon be transferred to BSNL, which operates pan-India. It is unclear if MTNL will shut down completely, but in the operational transition, BSNL will be responsible for handling all existing MTNL customers. Currently, the government is restructuring MTNL's R30,000 crore debt, and once the process is complete, the shift will take place.