india

Updated: Apr 08, 2019 08:05 IST

Nearly 10 lakh mobile subscribers of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Patna and at least six other districts of Bihar took a hit following a technical fault on Sunday.

The fault was triggered by a power outage following a thunderstorm late on Saturday, said principal general manager (mobile services) KK Singh.

The incident comes a day after the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) alleged deliberate attempts to wind up the telecom service provider by painting a bleak picture of its financial health. “BSNL is fighting on for survival, bereft of any support from the government and sabotaged from within by high ranking officers and politicians,” the AITUC had said in a statement.

The trade union also alleged that BSNL had not paid salaries to its employees for two months.

Of the seven districts affected, three — Aurangabad, Gaya and Nawada — go to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11. Other districts affected are Patna, Biharsharif, Ara and Chapra.

Election work was also partially hampered in Aurangabad, Gaya and Nawada, said an official. BSNL subscribers also complained about inability to make calls through WhatsApp.

BSNL has a subscriber base of around 28 lakh in Bihar.