Despite the fact, that the thousands of casual and contract labour engaged in BSNL are being ruthlessly explloited and all statutory rights denied, is well known to the Government, DOT, Labour Department and BSNL top management, why it is not corrected and genuine issues of the workers not settled?
This, to say the least is most shameful and condemnable.
As the Prsident of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation, I have approached the Prime Minister, Communication Minister, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Chief Labour Commissioner, Secretary DOT, CMD BSNL and all others connected with the issues. All has assured to do justice to the workers. Government has issued orders on minimum wages, BSNL has endorsed it, BSNL has issued orders for implementation of social security benefits to the casual and contract workers etc. etc. But they are not implemented at least in 90% of the places.
I have written to the Prime minister, Communications Minister, Labour Minister, Chief Labour Commissioner, Secretary DOT and CMD BSNL again. It is their responsiblity to get implemented their own orders by the field level officers and the contractors. Workers are on struggle in many places. If the authorities keep silence, the struggles will be intensified.

Probably, the Indian National Congress formed on 28th October 1885, is the first political party formed in India. Formed under the leadership of Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Surendranath Banerjee, Mahadev Govinda Ranade and other prominent personalities, it grew in to a force gradually. It led the Independance struggle. Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders strengthened it along with the strengthening of the Independance struggle.
After 126 years since its formation, the present ruling Congress is mired in Corruption charges and lack of governance. It has almost forgotten all the high ideals and socialist concepts it preached before Indpendance and immediately after. Even after 60 years of Independence, the country have more than 50% illiterates, 76% poor and what not? Of course the millionaires and billionaires have grown and increased by leaps and bounds.
A change from the present is required. Everybody will agree.

Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian again, according to the Forbes’ List published now. He is valued of Rs. $ 22.6 Billion. Next richest are are Laksmi Mittal( $ 19.2 billion), Azim Premji ( $ 13 biilion) Ruia ($ 10.2 billion) Jindal ($ 9.5 billion), Sunil Mittal($ 8.8 billion), Gautam Adani ($ 8.2 billion), Kumar Mangalam Birla ($ 7.7 billion) Palonji Mistry($ 7.6 billion) and Adi Godrej( $ 6.8 billion). Anil Ambani who has got only $ 5.9 billion is not in the first ten in the list.
However one interesting fact is that all these billionaires have lost from last year. It is stated that the down fall has been due to the mega scams and corruption charges in the country in which many corporate are also involved.

But a question need be answered by the Government?
Can any Indian become this rich if he abides by all the rules of the land? If he does not get the patronage of the ruling politicians? Without avoiding the due taxes? Without giving bribes?

As per reports in the Business Line in its first page today, BSNL Website was hacked by Pakistan Hackers at 18.00 hours on 26th October and it was rectified at 1400 hours on 27th. BSNL is reported to have claimed that no data has been lost.
The message was reported as posted in the BSNL Website as follows: ” Haxtd by KhantastiC haXor – Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. – India’s No. 1 Telecom Company …. This is now just a Warning!!”
I contacted one or two top officers in BSNL, but could not get any confirmation.
If it was hacked, then it is very serious. What is the security of the various data and other information in the web? I think the BSNL should issue a clarification in the matter to the media so that there will be no misunderstanding among the public and the workers.

The Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations / Unions of Executives and Non-Executives are meeting on 31st October to plan out for the successful organisation of the 15th November Strike against proposed VRS, denial of bonus, withdrawal of medical allowance, LTC etc. as also demanding immediate action by the management to procure mobile equipments, modem etc. The financial commitments made to the BSNL at the time of corporatisation like payment of ADC, Licence fee reimbursement, grant from USO Fund etc. should be restored.
All efforts are made to ensure the success of the one day strike.

The 25th November Parliament March is going to be participated by thousands and thousands of workers and Pensioners. The Central / State Government, Defence, Railway, BSNL and other sections of workers and Pensioners are participating in the march. Memorandum signed by lakhs of workers demanding to drop the anti-workers will be submitted to the Prime Minister. Hectic preparations are going to make the programme a great success.
BSNLEU and AIBDPA members are also expected to participate in large numbers. It is a fight against the injustice and attack on right of the workers for pension. Participate in the programme.

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was formed iOctober 1920. It was the first national trade union in India and was formed at the initiative of Indian National Congress leaders. Leaders of most political parties were part of the AITUC since there was only one Central Trade Union at that time. S/Shri V.V.Giri, S.A.Dange, B.T.Ranadive, Jyoti Bsu – all were part of the AITUC.
INTUC was formed by the Congress in 1947, leaving the AITUC, in a step to a trade union supporting the new Congress Government of India. In 1970, CITU was formed by the progressive sections in AITUC under the leadership of Coms.B.T.Ranadive and P. Ramamurthy as President and General Secretary protesting against the revisionist line of AITUC leadership.
Now there are about 11 central Trade Unions in the country including BMS, HMS etc.
Though there are many Central TUs, it is a positive sign that all these unions have come together to protect the interest of the workers and are agitating together. The next programme is Satyagraha/Rasto Roko agitation on 8th November. All India federations of Central/State Government employees, Public Sector, private sector are all participating in the programme. It is a welcome step.

Corruption is part of the capitalist system. The neo-liberalisation policy in India has been one of the main reasons for the mega corruption. But the corruption is not limited to India alone. It has become a serious problem world over. It has become a discussion point in the United Nations also.
As per media reports, the Joint Report submitted by the World Bank and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), governments are urged ‘to devote more resources to training investigators in fighting financial crimes, including large scale corruption , money laundering and terrorist financing’.
The committee report points out how the corruption cases and proceedings are hidden by legal structures like shell companies, trusts and others. Attempts to investigate the crimes are being frustrated by the corrupt politicians and powers that be.
In India, we have seen what is happening in the 2G scam, CWG scam etc. It corroborates the UN committee report. What the World Bank and United Nations are going to stop these corruptions?

The TRAI has taken the correct decision in reaffirming that the 3G roaming arrangement between the private telecom companies is illegal. As already stated earlier, the private companies had started providing 3G services even in those circles where that particular company was not allotted 3G spectrum. They were cheating the government and the people. Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular made a cartel and utilising the spectrum allotted to them in separate circles, were giving services in all the circles. While BSNL/MTNL were compelled to pay spectrum charges for all the circles, the private companies could select their circles. This means BSNL/MTNL had to pay for all 22 circles, while the private companies paid only for 7/8 circles only but took all benefits.
The Telecom Enforcement Resource Monitoring (TERM) cell of the DOT had already treated the roaming as violation of the spectrum allotment. Now the TRAI has also repeated the same.
Government should immediately take stringent action against the erring companies.