The issue of BSNL & MTNL merger has again come in to the agenda of the government. This issue was discused in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology yesterday. Secretary DOT, R.Chandrasekhar while appearing before the Standing Committee stated that the DOT Committee which looked in to the recommendations of the Board for Reconstruction of the Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) has accepted the merger of BSNL & MTNL.

The JAC had earlier favoured the proposal but had insisted that the issue of the pay scales, the issue of disinvestment ( while in MTNL about 46% is disinvested,  the unions did not allow any disinvestment in BSNL) etc. should be sorted out. The JAC had demanded that the MTNL shares disinvested should be bought back before merger.

The  JAC has to urgently move  to ensure that before the merger, the necessary actions are taken by the government as demanded by the JAC.