PIL filed in Madurai against BSNL discontinuing the telegram

Madurai: Against the backdrop of BSNL discontinuing the 160-year-old telegraph service from 15 July, a PIL was today filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court here seeking a stay on the order. A Division Bench of Justice Paul N Vasanthakumar and Justice P Devadoss directed the central government advocate to get instructions and posted the case for hearing tomorrow. [caption id=“attachment_949315” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image for representation only. AFP[/caption] Seeking the court’s intervention to stay the order of BSNL senior GM discontinuing the service, the petitioner highlighted the various important roles played by telegram. The petitioner, President of the Federation of Consumer and Service Organizations, M.Sekaran, rejected BSNL’s contention that there are no users of the telegram, alleging the service alone had faced step-motherly treatment. If BSNL felt that it could not run the service, it could as well hand over the service to the postal department which was handling it efficiently from 1850 to 1990. Robert Chandrakumar, another petitioner, also filed a PIL with the same prayers on the issue. The petitioner wanted the telegraph service to be continued at affordable rates. According to a recent circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, Sr General Manager (Telegraph Services) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Corporate office, New Delhi, the telegraph service is to be discontinued with effect from 15 July, 2013. PTI