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| Tata Channel Partners aghast over company's wind up plans | | ET's worst fears on outside investment come true | | early times report
Srinagar, Nov 28 : Early Times's worst fears on outside investment in the state have come true with Tata Tele Services deciding to wind up their operations in the state from January 17. The Early Times had expressed its reservations on October 6 in its report titled `What do TATA's and Birla's need in JK?'
What was imminent has happened much to the discomfort of the Tata Channel Partners of the state. Their representative body Kashmir Tata Channel Partners Association (KTCPA) has sought intervention of the Chief Minister to save the dealers from turning insolvent.
Describing Tata Tele Services as cheats KTCPA has urged that the company should immediately release compensation and other financial losses to the dealers.
"We have invested lakhs of rupees in establishing showrooms under the directions of the company (Tata). We've made sales worth lakhs of rupees while devices of Tata worth lakhs of rupees are lying with us", said KTCPA chairman Sajad Hussain Shah.
"We have invested in the company after selling our ancestral properties and other valuables to earn a livelihood. Under the directions of Tata Company, we decorated showrooms and have received the payment in advance for next six months from various subscribers", he said.
He said that subscribers are asking them to return the advance payment made by them and which dealers have forwarded to company. "Subscribers also ask us to return the amount of device. They treat us like cheats', said Shah
He said that no official communication had so far been forwarded to them, verbally or in writing. "We have been and are being deceived by the company. No official is ready to listen to us and when we ask them about the winding up matter they ask to contact the people in media", he added.
Another dealer Yaseen Ahmad said that the officials of company have left valley and no one is there to listen to them. "Every dealer has invested at least Rs 40 to 50 lakh. We expressed our concern to the CM on twitter. One side it (Government) is making claims of inviting high industrialists to Valley for eradication of unemployment and on other side it is silent over the cheating issue", he added.
"The decision, announced earlier this month, by the Tata Tele-Services Limited to wind up its cellular and broadband service to around 50,000 consumers in the valley has left both around 150 employees and dozens of franchise distressed. They are hunting for new avenues of earning in a very grim market of the Valley, which adds exponentially to unemployed figures every year", the dealers added.
Shockingly, the decision of the company has come just a month after Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah hosted tycoons of Indian industry, with the hope of creating jobs and attracting investment in the state.
However, Tata Teleservices spokesperson said the decision to close down the company's operations has been communicated to their business associates and that they were working out a settlement plan for their channel partner.
"The high reserve price for spectrum has made our business unviable in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. As a result, the company was left with no alternative but to close down operations with effect from January 18, 2013. This decision has been communicated to our Business associates and the process related to channel partner settlement is being worked out. Announcements regarding specific steps being taken will be made in due course", said the TTL spokesperson.
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