Kalyan calls raise pulse rate

The prevailing pulse rate from Kalyan to Mumbai is 180 seconds (one pulse) while that in wards 19 and 20 is 36 seconds only. “The latter rate is applicable to subscribers who reside in areas beyond KDMC limits,” Dixit explains. According to these rates, a call lasting 3 minutes (180 seconds) will cost other subscribers only Rs 1.33 paise (and Rs 3.33 paise when service charges are added). But if the same call is made from the above mentioned wards it would cost Rs 6.65 (Rs 8.65 when service charges are added).

General Manager C Nithiayanantham stated, “Since both these wards have been clubbed with Ulhasnagar, the rates are applicable accordingly.” Admitting that the problems cropped up because of no long-term planning, he assured, “These wards will be soon connected to the Kalyan (E) Exchange which has come up last year.”

He revealed that all subscribers from Vasai, Virar, Kalyan Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Kulgaon Badlapur, Ambernath, Titwala, Bhiwandi, Shahapur, Wada, Nokhada, Jawhar, Talasari and Tarapore will get telephones on `demand,’ adding that “all concerned infrastructural work in this regard is being expedited.” When pointed out the long waiting lists (in some cases the wiring is over and the instrument has also been fitted), he explained that this was because the replacement of the old exchanges with new ones was going on. “Once that is done we will be able to give everybody connections.” He blamed the high incidence of faults in the telephone services on lack of foresight among his predecessors who “provide connections to people without bothering about provision of well-planned external network.”

“With cables taken from the telephone pole through the nearest window without any support being the norm, it is not surprising to find a large number phone complaints in this region,” he pointed out. “I have issued orders for the up-gradation of the external network.”

He also set in motion plans to tackle the long time (a fortnight to two months) taken for attending to complaints about dead phones. “Every area (the above mentioned list of areas) will have an Area Manager who can be approached in case of a complaint,” he said. This will reduce the strain on the subscribers who have to come all the way from Vasai or Mokhada to Kalyan. “These services will start by March `98,” he assured.

Nithiayanantham blamed the civic corporation for the frequent cable faults. “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has the practice of organising apex meetings where department heads of all utility services like water-supply and sewerage management, power supply, telecommunications come together and co-ordinate their work,” he said.

None of the civic bodies in the areas that come under the Kalyan Telecom District have bothered to initiate similar steps, he added. The GM has plans to get all subscribers in the Telecom District direct dialling access. Subscribers need not have an STD facility to avail of this service.