Srinagar, Feb 9:  Barely a few hours after authorities lifted 8-day City siege, paramilitary CRPF troops deployed near the main gate of BSNL’s billing counter threatened to “shoot” subscribers.
 BSNL mobile users thronged the billing counter as today was the last day to pay the bills. At around 4’ clock, a BSNL employee appeared near the gate and directed the CRPF men not to let anymore of visitors in.
 “Close the gate and throw them out,” shouted the employee.
 However, some of the subscribers who had come from far off places pleaded before the CRPF men to let them in. “Shoot them, if they don’t go,” the BSNL employee screamed.
 On this CRPF men pointed their guns towards the queue of subscribers.
 “Dafa ho jao Saa*#* nahin to hum goli mar dein gay (Get lost or we’ll shoot you,” they said.
 The BSNL employee repeatedly said that the DE-Mobiles had ordered him to make sure that the gate was closed.
 “Call up General Manager Telecom and tell him. I damn care,” he added.       
 “We could not pay the bill due to the prevailing circumstances. The BSNL officials should have borne this is mind and extended the payment date or they should have asked their people to collect the payments for 2-more hours,” subscribers said, adding, “CRPF men threatening to kill us, shows how insensitive BSNL is towards its customers.”
 “The company has taken us for a ride,” they added.  
 When contacted the CRPF spokesman, Prabhakar Tripathi, said, “I will take up the matter with the commandant of the concerned battalion.”
 The General Manager Telecom, when contacted, didn’t pay any attention to the call.
  “I am busy in a meeting,” he said and dropped the phone.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST