Mumbai: 

Check the number you've dialled: More than 20 MTNL customers confirmed that the number printed on bills is wrong

Usually it's the amount of your telephone bill that bothers you. However, off late, there is a new number on MTNL bills that has irked consumers.

An advertisement printed on the bill offers personal accident cover of Rs 50,000 in collaboration with TATA AIG Life Insurance. It says people who wish to avail of this insurance cover must dial 27672030 or SMS 'insurance' to 52030. The only catch is that the printed number is wrong.

More than 20 MTNL customers confirmed that the number is defunct. They say they repeatedly kept trying the number, but the phone kept ringing. C N Rao, an MTNL user from Andheri, said, "I dialed that number continuously last week, but there was no response. I also approached MTNL authorities, but they kept blaming other departments. Mahadani, deputy general manager of MTNL, was completely unaware and asked me to get in touch with R M Kamble, who handles billing complaints. Kamble in turn asked me to contact the marketing department. Nobody had an answer." He says the customer service officials at TATA AIG Life could not help either.

When contacted, Gajre, PRO for MTNL, told MiD DAY, "The number was working when the advertisement was launched. A new number has replaced it and this will be printed in the next batch of MTNL bills. We did not receive any complaints, hence we did not know about the problem till the press informed us."

Tata AIG, however, said that the old number would be functional in a few days. Anupam Dutta, head, direct marketing, Tata AIG Life, said, "There has been a technical problem between MTNL and Tata AIG. Everything will be back on track in a few days."