Poll Analysis | BSNL Linemen Indulgent of Corruption
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited could be rechristened as Bribe Sanchar Nigam Limited. Thanks to corrupt linemen and officials who are incapable of selling landline or broadband connections, unless consumers place a few hundred rupees into their palms.
Consider this complaint for instance - A resident of Pathanamthitta (Kerala) reportedly pays a bribe whenever the local BSNL employee visits his house. He claims that none of the linemen do their job, unless they are bribed.
To explore more on this, I Paid A Bribe conducted a poll asking our readers, “Have you paid a bribe to fix a BSNL broadband landline connection?” while a majority (57 %) didn’t pay a bribe to secure or fix BSNL connection, 29% reported to have paid a bribe. 6% resisted bribing while the remaining 8% know someone who had to grease the palms of a BSNL official or a lineman.
The scene of BSNL linemen demanding bribes is quite common all across the country. With their quality of service evidently deteriorating due to their corrupt workforce, citizens receive some respite with private players entering the fray. Consumers have a wide range of service providers to choose from. This is further justified as a complainant didn’t want to pay a bribe of Rs.1000 to procure a BSNL broadband connection. With many new alternatives emerging in the market, the easiest way to avoid corruption would be to opt for a service in which no extra or unaccounted money will be demanded.