BSNL to assess 'single tariff' for calls

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Friday said the concept of 'One India', entailing single tariff for local and STD calls, was welcome from the consumers' point of view but its impact on companies' finances would have to be assessed.

"We have to analyse the impact... but as far as the concept is concerned it will benefit the consumers," A K Sinha, BSNL CMD said.

Asked whether BSNL's revenues would take a hit and by how much, Sinha said "Certainly they are going to be hit. We will come out with numbers after certain studies."

Communication minister Dayanidhi Maran had said on Thursday  that all artificial barriers coming in the way of movement towards uniform rates for local and STD calls will be removed soon.

"We will move towards 'One India'. All the artificial barriers coming in its way would be removed ...very soon," the minister had said.

He admitted that there would be lot of legal issues to be resolved before moving towards uniform rates for STD calls but said that the government was committed to 'One India' concept and it was moving towards it.

Intra-state disparity in telephone tariffs has already been addressed by the government.  The department of telecommunications recently announced that calls between Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal and Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra and between western and eastern Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls.