I was at Pune today, 24th February, in connection with a Convention of the BSNL Employees to prepare for the 28th February strike. Before the meeting which was scheduled at 1500 hours, Comrades Nagesh Nallawade, Circle President and Purushotham Gedam, Circle Secretary took me to The Pune Posts & Telecom Co-operative Credit Society Limited, which is in Pune city itself. It is accommodated in a three storeyed plus ground-floor building newly purchased for an amount of Rs. 1.71 crore. It is a spacious building and there is a big Conference Hall, rooms for office purpose, sitting room etc. About 15 officials are employed by the society for the day-to-day work. It is kept neat and clean also. I was really impressed by the arrangement and functioning of the Society. I was told that loan to Rs. 5 lakh are given to the members. The Society has a proposal to start a Bank also. As social responsiblity, the society is giving  a good number of blankets to the old people, and I saw the same there purchased for supply. I suggested certain other social responsibilities which the society can undertake. Com. Nallawade is the President of the Society. I congratulated them for making the society to the present position.

It is not an isolated case. P&T employees have such big societies in many places like Thiruvananthapuram, Hubli etc. If the societies are run in an efficient manner, the workers will get much benefit. These societies can run stores also which will be helpful to our employees.