BSNL is reportedly offering up to Rs.50 of talk time as a loan to its customers. It previously offered a loan scheme in 2016 whose limit was Rs.10. According to a report from Only Tech, BSNL subscribers can avail the loan facility from the USSD code *511*7#.
There will be four loan options to choose from – Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 30, and Rs. 50. In typical USSD fashion, there will be numbers corresponding to the recharge amount and you may choose the one that suits you the most, as you can see in the image below.
BSNL typically levies Rs.1 for Rs.10 loans and hence, we could expect similar charges on these new plans as well. BSNL has not officially announced the scheme at the time of writing this article.
Note: when I tested out the feature, it showed an error that read “We are sorry. You do not qualify for this service at the moment”. Let us know if it works for you in the comments.
BSNL might not be ready to scale this talktime loan scheme right now, which explains why it has not made an official announcement. That said, we could expect the telecom operator to announce it in the coming weeks, as it would help its subscribers stay connected during these trying times.
It is worth noting that BSNL is not the only network operator in the country that is offering extra benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. Reliance Jio is reportedly offering a 24-Hour Grace Plan with unlimited Jio calls when your current plan expires.
