BSNL hangs up Maran's OneIndia call

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has said that Dayanidhi Maran's proposal for uniform call rates across the country, under the "OneIndia" concept, would have a major impact on its revenue.

BSNL has drawn up plans to add 70 million telephone lines over the next three years, for which the company will need to invest Rs 80,000 crore.

"The OneIndia concept will benefit customers. Our revenues are certainly going to take a hit. We are yet to analyse the impact. We will come out with numbers after certain studies," BSNL chairman A K Sinha told reporters.

According to Sinha, the PSU will have to consider other means to prop up revenues, if the OneIndia plan was implemented. "For instance, we may be forced to increase local call rates," he said.

Minister for Communications and IT Dayanidi Maran had said the UPA government was working towards uniform rates within the country.

"We will a have OneIndia policy, where calls within the country will be treated like calls within a state. The artificial barriers that come in the way of movement towards uniform rates for local and STD calls will be removed soon," Maran had said.