THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION No.15516 of 2000 Dated: 03.10.2007 Between: K.Sambasiva Raju .. Petitioner And General Manager, Hyderabad Telecommunications, Suryalok Complex, Hyderabad and another. .. Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION No.15516 of 2000 ORDER; The petitioner approached this Court and filed the present writ petition saying that the action of the respondents in changing his telephone number from 7861277 to 32020 is arbitrary, and because of the said change, he has lost certain benefits. 2. The case of the petitioner is that his house is situated in Qutubullapur Municipality, Ranga Reddy District, but within the area of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority and he is a Civil Construction Contractor, and hence, he is in extreme necessity of using the telephone. He further submits that earlier his telephone connection was within Alwal Exchange and his telephone number was 7861277. Later on, the respondents have issued a notification that the telephone numbers of Alwal Exchange are brought under Kompalli Telephone Exchange, and pursuant to that, the telephone number of the petitioner is changed to five digit number i.e., 32020. The main grievance of the petitioner is that due to the action of the respondents in changing his telephone number from seven digits number to five digits number, he is facing much inconvenience as he has to dial 920 before dialing the particular number to which he wishes to make a phone call and also that if his telephone number is to be called from any place other than city, he has to dial Code No.08418 and then dial the five digit number. He further stated that with the present five digit number, he cannot call any number which starts with digit “1” such as Police-100, Fire Engine-101, Railway Enquiries-131 etc. Hence, this writ petition. 3. A detailed counter has been filed by the respondents denying the material allegations leveled against them by the petitioner in his affidavit filed in support of the writ petition. They stated that the facilities available in Medchal Exchange (Taluk Headquarters) are made available to Kompally Telephone Exchange also, and special services like 180, 197 and 172 addressed to D.O.T and internet are also provided. They further stated that as there is no Police Station, Fire Station and Railway Station in Kompally, services of 100, 101, 131 and 176 are not provided. They further stated that the subscriber of Secunderabad Contonment Exchange pays a bi-monthly rental of Rs.500/-, whereas a subscriber of Kompally Telephone Exchange subscriber pays only Rs.220/-, thereby the subscriber of Kompally Telephone Exchange gets a benefit of Rs.180/-. They also contend that the introduction of linked number scheme of seven digits is under active consideration of the Department and the present five digits system is only for a transition period. 4. Heard both the counsel. 5. Originally, the telephone number of the petitioner was within Alwal Exchange, but subsequently, as the respondents have brought the Alwal Telephone Exchange under Kompalli Telephone Exchange, the telephone numbers, which were under Alwal Exchange, were reduced from seven digits to five digits. In fact, it is in a way helpful to the petitioner, because the rental in Secunderabad Contonment Exchange where Alwal Exchange is located is Rs.500/-, whereas for the subscribers located in Kompally Telephone Exchange is only Rs.220/-. Similarly, some other benefits are also provided to the subscribers of Kompally Telephone Exchange by virtue of the said transfer. Hence, it cannot be said that it actually caused any sort of inconvenience to the petitioner. Further, in the counter, it is also stated that the introduction of linked number scheme of seven digits is under active consideration of the Department and the present five digits system is only for a short period and after some time, Kompally subscribers will be having telephone numbers of seven digits. In fact, the said counter is filed in the month of February, 2002, and this Court is of the view that by now Kompally Telephone Exchange also must have got the linked telephone numbers scheme of seven digits. Hence, in the light of the aforesaid explained facts and circumstances, the relief as sought for by the writ petitioner in this writ petition cannot be granted. 6. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed. No order as to costs. ________________________ (GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA,J) Dt.03.10.2007 v v