BSNL is not offering 20GB of 3G data at Rs 50! It's a hoax!

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has stated that it is not offering 20GB of 3G data for Rs 50. News of this state-owned telecommunication company's unbelievable offer spread like wildfire after messages of the offer made their rounds on WhatsApp and Facebook.

"BSNL has not officially declared any offer like 20GB 3G data for Rs 50 and neither does the company intend to do so," a BSNL officer told the Times of India.

The viral message claimed that the 20GB data would be provided under the ambitious plan pf Digital India, rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The message also added that the plan could also be shared among five contacts - with free data being offered to four of the contacts. 

The message also led to many users visiting their nearby BSNL franchise to avail the plan. Ravi Dubey, a businessman in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh, immediately approached the nearby SIM card shop, after reading the viral message on a WhatsApp group, to buy the latest BSNL offer. 

"I took the message very seriously and headed to the main SIM card and recharge shop of my locality. But, even the shopkeeper did not give any assurance about the offer," the 31-year-old told Catch.

"We had no idea of the viral message. My son discovered it after receiving numbers of the customers on the shop," RK Sharma who runs a phone recharge shop told Catch. 

"Soon after receiving entire information, we confirmed about the information from our local distributor," he added. 

According to a Business Standard report, for the first time ever, the BSNL had posted a loss of Rs 1,823 crore in 2009-10. The state-run company is already facing tough competition from private telecom giants and such messages are bound to affect the credibility of the company in towns and villages across India.