The latest move of the Central government to close about 10,000 post offices in the country is a sure indication of its move to privatise the Postal Services.

Postal Department was the only postal service in the country earlier. After the government started implementing the neo-liberal policies, licence was given to the private courier service. A good portion of the service provided by the Postal Department was diverted to the private couriers. Now, the UPA II government is moving for further privatisation and as a step towards this has decided to close 9797 post offices, as per media reports. It seems that the government is restricting one post office only within five km area. This is in fact an attack on the service to the people and has got to be resisted strongly not by the workers alone, but by the [public also.

I am of the strong opinion that the arbitrary closing of these post offices should be strongly opposed by the people and defeated.

Kerala was the first state in India to be declared as fully literate. It was on 18th of April 1991. 20 years have elapsed, but no other state could get such a full literacy declaration so far.

The literacy campaign was one of the most important project the LDF government has started. For more than one entire year thousands and thousands classes for the aged and the uneducated were organised throughout Kerala. Most of the classes were in the night and the teachers included students,teachers, government employees and anybody who can teach. No fees, allowances or remuneration was given or taken. The state government gave printed books free to the students. Spectacles were given to the old people to enable them to read.

The programme has given empowerment to the ordinary people. Just like the Land Reforms in the first EMS Ministry in 1957, the declaration of fully literate state was also a landmark in the advance march of Kerala.

The decision of the Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions to make all out efforts to improve the services and to observe the month of May 2011 as “Customer Delight Month” is commendable. Certain limited targets have also been outlined by the JAC. A detailed programme will be chalked out after reviewing the success of the present programme.

It is utmost necessary that this programme succeeds. The contribution of each and every worker is necessary for its success. Unfortunately some unions are keeping away from attending the JAC on some misunderstanding despite the request of the JAC to join the mainstream. However, we are in constant touch with these organisatins and we hope that wisdom will prevail and that they also join this crusade for saving and strengthening BSNL. I personally wecome them to come back and be a party to this great movement.

News are coming from many circles in BSNL that contract workers who have been engaged for 10 to 20 years are being disengaged / retrenched for the only reason that they are fighting to ensure payment of minimum wages as also social security measures. These workers who are engaged for line work, cable work and office work are doing excellent work as can be seen by every body. But they were being paid only 1/4th 1/2 of what they are eligible. The balance was being exploited by the contractor and other vested interests. It is a sorry state of affairs that this injustice is being happening in BSNL, where there are strong and democratic TU organisations.

Today, I got a report from Mathura, where the contract workers under the leadership of BSNL Casual & Contract Workers Federation are on struggle to get minimum wage and implementation of social security measures. They were threatened with arrest and jail if they don’t stop the agitation.

Fortunately, on the intervention of the SSA and Circle Unions of BSNLEU and discussion with the management the issues are reported to have been settled at present. But struggles are taking place in many other stations also. I would request all the Circle and SSA secretaries to take this as a priority issue and ensure that the genuine issues of these low paid workers are got settled.

The UPA government is in a hurry to pass the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill in the Parliament. This bill which could not be passed in the first UPA government due to the stiff opposition from the Left Parties, without whose support the government could not continue, has been brought again by the II UPA government. The entrire Trade Unions have strongly protested this anti-worker bill, but still the government wants to move ahead to help the big business and employers.

The support given by the main opposition, BJP, in presenting the bill has encouraged the government to move swiftly. That is what reflected in the statement of the Yogesh Agerwal, Interim Chairman of PFRDA that ‘ There is no further hurdles in the passage of PFRDA Bill’.

The TU movement in the country has to take this as a big challenge and make all out efforts to defeat the government’s sinister move.

Sustained struggles are necessary to stop this anti-worker bill being passeda and made in to law.

It was an event of the 20th Century. At 01.30 AM on 12th April 1961, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin flew to space, creating history as the first man to do so. The entire world was enthralled to hear the great news. USA as well as USSR have been conducting tests regarding flight to space. USSR won the race by sending the first man to space.

It was a sharp space race after that. USSR and USA improved one on the other by conducting flights to space. And on 21 July 1969 Neil Armstrong, USA became the first man to walk on the moon.

Many space travels have taken place after that. Indian women Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams also had travelled to space and returned, but the space shuttle in which the former travelled crashed before reaching and all the persons in that shuttle died.

The space travels, to the moon and beyond is continuing. One question will be in the minds of many Indians.When India will be able to send a person to space on its own?

DOT has issued termination of licence notices to various telecom operators for not having rolled out services as per licence obligation. Sistema Shyam Telecom Services, Aircel and Etisalat DB are among them. Most of the telcos which got new licences in 2008 has not rolled out services as required. The operators have been given 60 days time to reply.
It is well-known that it was not the intention of these companies, many of them Real Estate Companies, to offer telecom services. They only wanted to get the spectrum at cheap rates and then sell it for windfall profits.
Due to the intervention of the Supreme Court and the strong opposition of Left and others in the Parliament, the government has been compelled to take some action against these freak companies.

Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has indicated certain suggestions which are to be included in the New Telecom Policy 2011. These include:
* Licence Period will be made 10 years instead of the present 20 years.
* A uniform licence fee will be charged for all segments
* Application for licence should be filed 30 months before the expiry of the present licence
* Spectrum and licence will be delinked
* There will be minimum six operators in a circle.

The NTP-2011 will be finalised before the end of this year, Minister stated. The DOT is also considering the proposal to allow sharing of spectrum. Merger & Acquisition (M&A) rules may be liberalised.

The indications are clear. The Government is moving fast for further liberalisation of the telecom sector. There is no indication how the government is going to help BSNL /MTNL to tide over the present crisis. Of course, the private operators are the priority and favourites of the UPA government.