BSNL may drag errant operators to court over dues

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is considering legal action against the defaulting private telecom operators to recover its dues.

"We will take the help of the legal remedy available to recover our dues," BSNL chairman and managing director A K Sinha said.

BSNL had recently debarred Data Access, an international long distance service provider, to pass calls to the incumbent operator's lines, because of a dispute over payment of interconnection charges.

BSNL had also disconnected the points of interconnection with Data Access. The company is reported to have dues over Rs 70 crore to BSNL.

According to sources, BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd have encashed the Rs 50 crore bank guarantee of Data Access.

BSNL has also disconnected some points of interconnection with Reliance Infocom in Ahmedabad, citing that the later was carrying illegal international long distance traffic.

On the reason behind extending the date for acceptance of expressions of interest for the CDMA handset manufacturing joint venture, Sinha said, " We are expecting some key global players to submit expression of interests (EoI). That is why we have extended the date."

The state-owned telecom major had invited EoIs for setting up a joint venture CDMA handset manufacturing plant. The last date for submitting these EoIs has been extended by a month from September 26 to October 28.