New Delhi: The state-run telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) on Sunday lowered international calls rates to some member countries of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) by 15-35 per cent.

The new move would enable BSNL customers, both mobile and landline, to make calls to Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Bhutan at cheaper rates, reports IANS.

Under the post-paid plan 725, the BSNL cellphone users can make calls to the four countries at Rs 9 per minute instead of the existing Rs 10. Under the post-paid and pre-paid plans, call charges to these countries would be Rs 9 per minute instead of Rs 12.

For BSNL fixed line users, call charges to these four countries would now be Rs 9.60 per minute. Earlier, the charges were Rs 12 a minute.

BSNL is also planning to cut call rates to Middle Eastern countries, a company official said.