--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **** http://www.GOANET.org **** --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 International Goan Convention Toronto, Canada
http://www.2008goanconvention.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM JULY 13: The people from Bicholim have strongly voiced their protest against the Bicholim telecom department's apathy in providing new broadband connections to the subscribers even as the officers have claimed that the people from Bicholim and Sattari would soon be provided with the facility. Speaking to Herald people from Bicholim said that the telecom department is delaying in providing broadband connections in the taluka. "We had booked for a connection a year ago but we are yet to recieve the connection" a resident from Bordem on the condition of anonymity told adding "since last one year we are forced to visit the telecom office but without any convincing answer." "Every time they give us a new excuse and tell that we would soon get the connctions, but all these tall claims fizzle when the time comes" he reported "the telecom department are favoring some as recently a persons whoes name was after me in the waiting list got the connection and i was told to wait till the new connections are released." In Bicholim there are about 98 applications in the waiting list when the capacity of the telecom is that of 60 broadband connections which are already alloted. The new connections are yet to be given eventhough an year ago the people have paid the entire amount for the connection. According to sources some people from Bicholim recently got connection when the officers were taken to task raising doubt over the entire process. "If the department claim that the exchange is not having capacity and connections how are they still releasing them without considering the waiting list?" an aggrived subscriber questioned. The JTO of the Bicholim telephone exchange, S N Gaonkar when contacted dismissed the charges. "We keep some connections on hold so that they could be given later or if some technical difficulties arise but the number of connections on hold is also very less" Gaonkar explained. "At present we have about 98 pending applications for new broadband connections and we might fulfill just the first 60 applicants in the city" Gaonkar divulged adding "the process would be as per the waiting list." He also told that soon there would be broadband facility in 19 exchanges in Bichoim and Sattari. "In Valpoi, Sanquelim, Amona and Keri (Sattari) the dislamp unit has already been installed but we are still facing some technical difficulties" he told "each of these exchanges would have capacity of 60 connections and the people have already started applying for the same." "The convertor has been installed at the Bicholim exchange and some minor works are pending" Gaonkar claimed but was not able to give an exact date when the connections would be released "we cannot give an exact date as the entire work is given on contract we would consult the higher ups so that the work is not delayed in Bicholim."