BSNL’s responds to public angst
On Friday, the General Manager Telecom (GMTD) Mr George Marshall who is known to attend to all customer complaints (including cantankerous ones) with the patience of Job called up to ask if users of Cell One mobile phones were getting fewer dropped calls.
“I have analysed the problem and got to the root of it and we are trying to rectify it. Please let me know if your dropped calls have reduced. However, this is only between Cell One users. I am not too sure that this would work equally efficiently when the conversation is between a Cell One user and a customer of other service providers.”
Mr Marshall has said on more than one occasion that the Department’s copper lined cables are repeatedly stolen and the Department has had to bail itself out.
Even the cables that have been mercilessly destructed along the Shillong-Guwahati highway by M/s Ramky have had to be serviced by the Telecom Dept without a penny being compensated by the exterminators.
These days we see the orange coloured cables hanging precariously on poles on the highway. These are Cell One cables we are told.
We can only keep our fingers crossed that they are not rammed into by the bulldozers yet again.
Another revelation! Mr Marshall said the Dept has to realize a staggering amount of Rs 35 crores from Cell One defaulters.
Samosa fan
Dr Mukul Sangma is fond of Samosas and all came to know that during the recent inspection of Captain Williamson Sangma Museum at the State Central Library premises.
After the inspection, Dr Sangma along with his cabinet ministers was provided with pastries and sandwiches. But the Chief Minister instead asked for Samosas, which were kept in another room.
Evidently the Chief Minister saw the mouth-watering Samosas in another room while inspecting the museum. Many who were part of the entourage smiled at the CM’s preference as it was closer to the choice of the commoners. And not to be forgotten is how the CM and his Deputy went to the State Central Library … they walked from the secretariat and walked back. A rare sight indeed but cynics believe it is for effect since 2013 is just round the corner. For Dr Mukul and his colleagues it’s ‘damned if you do, damned of you don’t.
Of injured feelings
The District Transport Officer (DTO) of a particular district was livid at the story in this daily about the misdemeanour of his tribe and subordinates.
“How can you make generalizations like this? I have just joined my post three months ago,” he said. Our reply was that we do not do stories without talking to those at the receiving end of the system – the hundreds of wannabe drivers who pay their way through to get a licence before they even know the traffic signs and those waiting for six weeks to get their vehicles registered despite the computerization.
Interestingly we have found people born, bred and driving their vehicles in East Khasi Hills getting their licenses from West Khasi Hills or Ri Bhoi or West Garo Hills.
We asked them the reason for such adventure. They said they only have to pay some ‘babu’ working in any of the DTO offices to get a driving license.
What the DTOs should be doing is to do a surprise check of the registers that record the number of driving licenses given out per day and to see if due diligence has been observed. That’s if the DTOs are not complicit!
No clone this time
The recent visit by the Home Minister, HDR Lyngdoh to inspect the Shillong Bypass work saw the presence of the Umroi MLA, Stanly Wiss Rymbai. This time it was the real Rymbai, not a look-alike.
The last time this daily carried a “separated at birth” photo of the person who attended a school function on behalf of Rymbai it elicited laughter across the State and ST online readers. Rymbai had earned the ire of the public and the organizer of a school function when he sent his look-alike to the school’s function. At the highway inspection many villagers and others who gathered there were gave a quizzical look at the MLA and smiled to themselves. Apart from the villagers the officials and security personnel that accompanied the Home Minister also could not stifle their giggles.