On July 15, 2013, Indian telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) shut down its telegram service due to a major shortfall in terms of revenue. The company suffered a loss of Rs. 132.79 crore from 2012 t foo 2013, for the telegram service alone.
Milind Deora, Minister of State for Communications and IT, wrote a reply to Lok Sabha, stating that BSNL earned a revenue of Rs. 9.89 crore, against an expenditure of Rs. 142.68 crore in 2012-13. Deora went on to say, “The telegraph services have been discontinued w.e.f July 15, 2013. New modes of communication are more economical, faster and more reliable in comparison to telegraph services which led to a decreased usage of these services over time and declining revenues for BSNL”.
After the shut down of services, the telegraph offices are being used by BSNL for meeting customer needs. Employees who used to work in the telegraph department now work in customer service centers and other services which are offered by BSNL. The minister also assured that no employee of BSNL has lost his or her job due to the closure of the service.
The telegraph service first started in 1850, on an experimental basis and then was made available to the public in 1854.
Photo Credits: Euro News
