07.08.2022

ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY HON’BLE MINISTER SIR

The recent utterances of the CMD BSNL and the Hon’ble MOC have pained the rank and file in the BSNL. Instead of boosting the morale of the BSNL employees, the CMD BSNL and also the Hon’ble MOC are demotivating the employees.  Lakhs of employees from the lowest strata to the higher echelons in BSNL and its original avatar i.e. DOT have toiled day and night to run the system as smooth as they could.

The actions of the Political bosses and external management have often resulted in chaotic conditions in the company. The right hand did not know what the left hand was doing. We were thrust into the company against our will. The company made huge profits upto 2004 and what hapened next was history. Inept politicians played their dirty games with the company and the staff. Expansion of the network was deliberately stalled, 3G roll out was delayed, spares were scarce to get. External management who have no say in the company ruled us enjoying all the benefits at the cost of the company employees. HR policies took a back seat.  4G tender was twice cancelled.

History was created in the world in June 2007, when the entire lot of employees stuck work for a day demanding supply of equipment to run the company.

The towers of BSNL are as meagre as its acronym.  It is perhaps the only PSU in the country wherein the employees pay from their salaries to get the system running. Every month all most all the employees from the JE level to the DE level spend huge sums of money with the fond hope that the BSNL would one day regain its lost glory. Lakhs of rupees of the employees are held   up for years together and most of them have lost hope of reiumbursement. Many have retired without being paid.

The main reasons for the failure of the company to a larger extent could be due to :

a) Poor marketing strategies

b) No proper HR management

c) outdated equipment

d) Lack of functional autonomy

e) Interference of the administrative ministry and politicos.

f) External management.

Finding fault with the employees and threatening them with dire consequences is only a knee jerk reaction and would be counter productive in the long run. Instead the reasons of the sorry state of affairs should be thoroughly analysed and concrete solutions be found so that the BSNL would regain its lost glory.

02.08.2022

बी एस एन एल रिवाइवल पैकेज

Cabinet  approves revival package of BSNL amounting to

Rs 1.64 Lakh Cr.

Telecom Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji has stated that Telecom is a strategic sector. Presence of BSNL in telecom market acts as a market balancer. BSNL plays a crucial role in expansion of telecom services in rural areas, development of indigenous technology and disaster relief. To make BSNL financially viable, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the revival package of BSNL amounting to Rs 1.64 Lakh Cr. Revival measures approved by the Cabinet focus on infusing fresh capital for upgrading BSNL services, allocating spectrum, de-stressing its balance sheet, and augmenting its fiber network by merging Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited (BBNL) with BSNL.

1. Upgrading BSNL services
2. Administrative allotment of Spectrum: To improve existing services and provide 4G services, BSNL will be allotted Spectrum in 900/1800 MHz band administratively at the cost of Rs 44,993 Cr through equity infusion. With this spectrum, BSNL will be able to compete in the market and provide high speed data using their vast network including in rural areas.
3. Financial support for capex: To promote indigenous technology development, BSNL is in process of deploying Atmanirbhar 4G technology stack. To meet the projected capital expenditure for next 4 years, Government will fund capex of Rs 22,471 Cr. This will be a significant boost to development and deployment of Atmanirbhar 4G stack.
4. Viability gap funding for rural wireline operations: Despite the commercial non-viability, BSNL has been providing wireline services in rural/remote areas to meet the social objectives of the Government. Government will provide Rs 13,789 Cr to BSNL as viability gap funding for commercially unviable rural wire-line operations done during 2014-15 to 2019-20.
5. Increase in authorized capital: The authorized capital of BSNL will be increased from Rs 40,000 Cr to Rs 1,50,000 Cr in lieu of AGR dues, provision of capex and allotment of spectrum.

2. De-stressing BSNL balance sheet

5. Debt structuring: Government will provide sovereign guarantee to these PSUs for raising long term loan. They will be able to raise long term bonds for an amount of Rs 40,399 Cr.  This will help restructuring existing debt and de-stressing the balance sheets.
6. Financial support for AGR dues: To further improve the balance sheet, AGR dues of BSNL amounting to Rs 33,404 Cr will be settled by conversion into equity. Government will provide funds to BSNL for settling the AGR/GST dues.
7. Re-issue of preference shares: BSNL will re-issue preference share of Rs 7,500 Cr to the Government.

3. Augmenting BSNL fiber network

8. Merger of BBNL and BSNL: To facilitate wider utilization of infrastructure laid under BharatNet, Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) will be merged with BSNL.  The infrastructure created under BharatNet will continue to be national asset, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis to all the Telecom Service Providers.

With these measures, BSNL will be able to improve the quality of existing services, roll out 4G services and become financially viable. It is expected that with the implementation of this revival plan, BSNL will turn-around and earn profit in FY 2026-27.

The Hon’ble Minister has further stated that there is no Need for a 2nd VRS in BSNL and as such has put to rest all runours being floated by vested interests. 

WHO  IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS SUFFERED BY THE EMPLOYEES

The employees working in the BSNL have been suffering on numerous counts for the past several years both financially and career wise.  After the 2nd PRC, the perks were to be settled after an year but even after 12 years there is no mention of perks, the management systematically imposed several other cuts such as ban of leave travel concession, cut in medical expenses, Children educational allowance, various forms of other allowances which were being paid to the employees. The protests were very much muted. No serious efforts to counter this were made, their agitations were only for the sake of an agitation often to please their political masters. Strikes were held and withdrawn without any result.

At the same time the officers on deputation got all the benefits at the cost of the BSNL workers and the agitations to send them back never bore results.  

The promotion policy which was formulated in the year 2010 has out lived its life. No effort is made to get another new policy. BSNL is unique in the sense that there is a dual policy one for the executives and another for the non executives. While the executives got their promotions at a much faster pace and  the non executives have to wait for long. Stagnations in the lower rung of the employees was a big curse on the employees. More than 60000 workers suffered, thousands retired under stagnation and  now stagnation has reached its peak.

Departmental examinations are never held in time, in the name of restructuring large number of vacancies have been usurped by the management.  The non executives are left with no other alternative except to rot in the cadre they are in. Young Engineers are dissatisfied today, they joined the BSNL with the fond hope that they will have a better future here. 

Now comes the question, who is responsible for the mess in which the employees are in, the answer is obvious, the recognised unions who have been at the helm since the first verification.  It is only they who have the power to negotiate with the management, DOT etc but why did they fail to get their agenda implemented despite having such large percentage of votes, what stopped them. 

Dear BSNL employees and young Engineers ponder over this, the time has come to make a change, a decisive change for the betterment of your career.