Bills unpaid

The Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) has disconnected the telephone lines of government offices in Bhadrapur, Jhapa for they failed to clear stacks of unpaid bills. This is an encouraging move no doubt. Disconnecting telephone lines immediately is a good tactic of goading bill defaulters into doing the needful. However, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has yet to follow suit to recover millions of rupees from electricity defaulters. Such a move certainly prompts bill defaulters to clear their dues on time, besides sending them a clear warning. Had NTC taken soft stand to make telephone bill defaulters pay, it would not have been possible for the corporation to pay the salary of its employees on time. Neither would NTC have been able to provide better services to its customers, nor would the rural people have had access to telephone services. It is also true that NTC is the only state-run corporation that runs on profit today. The harsh steps, that crippled the communication of the government offices in Jhapa, should serve as a warning to one and all. NTC had no option but to take harsher measures against those who defaulted telephone bills for years. This exemplary move will not only prevent the corporation from being collapsed but might also send the right message to other ailing state-run corporations. However, it remains to be seen whether NTC would reconnect the telephone lines without clearing the telephone bills and continue to get tough with unscrupulous persons or organisations.

The disconnected telephone lines of government offices in Jhapa include district administration office, district police office, regional police office and national investigation department. The telephone lines of these government offices were spared for years, citing security reasons. Now these government offices owe almost two million rupees in total to NTC which had repeatedly reminded the telephone bill defaulters to clear their dues in time before disconnecting the lines. Besides, the government allocates separate budgets for telephone and electricity every year. Yet, these government offices failed to clear their telephone bills in time. The general perception among the people is that the government employees misuse telephone lines and as a result the bills are getting fatter every day. There are many such government organizations in the country which have failed to clear their bills even after being repeatedly reminded. The Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation and the Birgunj Municipal Corporation have never paid their electricity bills, leave aside the various ministers and political leaders who have been defaulting such bills. Ignoring or failing to take actions against defaulters has not only brought about a filthy culture, but has also eaten into the roots of development endeavours.