Monthly Archives: April 2015

BSNL will invest Rs 7,000 crore in setting up Wi-Fi hotspots integrated with 3G, 4G networks across the country

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Telecom

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NEW DELHI: State-run telecom operator BSNL will invest Rs 7,000 crore in setting up Wi-Fi hotspots integrated with 3G, 4G networks across the country over the next two to three years, a top company official said.

“Wi-Fi is an obvious choice for BSNL going forward but it alone cannot be successful. It has to be integrated with 3G, 4G network so that customer can be seamlessly transferred to Wi-Fi. In two to three years, we will be investing Rs 7,000 crore to set up integrated Wi-Fi across the country,” chairman and managing director of BSNL Anupam Shrivatava said while speaking at TeleAnalysis event here.

The company has already rolled out Wi-Fi service in Varanasi and will be extending it to more tourist spots by the end of this year.

“By end of this financial year, we will have 2,500 Wi-Fi hotpsots,” Shrivatava said.

In addition to this, BSNL has also partnered with QuadGen Wireless for setting up Wi-Fi hotspots under a revenue share model.

“BSNL is in best position to provide instant bandwidth. We will set up Wi-Fi hotspots and BSNL will provide bandwidth for it. We are committed to set up 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots by June and another 5,000 by end of this year,” QuadGen Wireless founder and chairman CS Rao said.

QuadGen will set up Wi-Fi hotspots in South and West zone under this partnership.

“Telecom operators have just committed huge amount in spectrum auction. They will need time to invest in networks. With BSNL we have 18-months window of opportunity to expand Wi-Fi network,” Rao said. (Courtesy: Times of India)

SAVE BSNLE, SAVE NATION (7) – Transfer all Assets to BSNL

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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BSNL is a company fully owned by the Government of India. According to the worth of assets, it is at the 10th position out of all the companies, whether private or public. It has got assets worth rs. 89,333.44 crores by a very modest estimate.

Though these are the assets of the BSNL, the government has yet to transfer them technically to the BSNL. This is reported to have not been done. As a result, BSNL assets are being transacted and sold by the government. For example, the BSNL quarters allotted to BSNLEU and NFTE have been sold, the former to the Jharkhand Government. Such selling are going on.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations is demanding that all the assets like land, buildings, infrastructure, training centres etc.-all should be legally transferred to BSNL so that there should not be any legal complications in future.

CITU protests against decision to put EPF Funds in share markets.

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in General, Neo-liberal policy

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New Delhi, April 1: Centre of Indian Trade Unions registers its vehement protest over the Government decision to invest 5 to 15 percent workers PF accumulation to speculative share market ignoring total opposition by the entire trade union movement.

It may be recalled that the past Labour Ministers as Chairman of Central Board of Trustees used to take a position supporting the views of Trade Unions. But now the current Labour Minister of the BJP Government is supporting the employers demand for share market investment of PF accumulations.  .

In addition to the disastrous new investment pattern, proposals have been officially made for whole-sole amendment of the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952  which includes matters presented by the Finance Minister in his Budget speech on amendment of the EPF Act.

Except widening the scope of implementation of the EPF Act, by reducing the limit of the number of workers to 10 from 20, most of the other amendments will result in the death knell of the Social Security Scheme in the country, which used to be showcased as a great achievement of the country.  Option is being given to EPF subscribers to switch over to the National Pension Scheme (NPS) which is only a saving scheme.  By projecting NPS as a better alternative to provident fund, Government is trying to move the workers from a Social Security Scheme, which guarantees certain benefits even to the family members of EPF subscribers.

Through some other amendments, Government, in the name of supporting  small factories  are reducing the existing benefits to the largest chunk of Industrial workers in the country.  Workers in factories with 10 to 40 workers will get lesser benefits from EPF.  It is to be noted that more than 75 per cent of industrial workers are from these factories with  workers up to 40.

In total, the changes being made in the EPF Scheme in the country are part of the market oriented neoliberal economic policies of the BJP Government at the center.

CITU calls upon the working people in the country to raise their voice of protest against these amendments and investment proposals along with the campaign  and preparations for the united direct action against the BJP Government’s anti worker – anti people policies (INN)

 

NOFN – Now it is BharatNet

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Telecom

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The Central Government has renamed National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) as BharatNet. The decision was taken in the committee specially appointed to analyse the structure of NOFN. The BharatNet aims at providing broadband connections to villages at monthly rate Rs. 150 in poor villages and at Rs. 250 in other villages. The speed will range from 2Mbps to 20 Mbps.

Decisions have been taken by UPA and now NDA government. Name is changed. But when this will be implemented? Delay and failure to reach the targets have become the face book  of the telecom decisions.

Minimum Wage in Delhi increased from Rs. 8,632 to Rs. 9,048

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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In  Delhi, the AAP Government has increased the minimum wage for its skilled workers from Rs.8,632 to Rs. 9,048 per month. The wages for the semi-skilled will be increased from Rs.  9,542 to Rs. 10,010 and for the skilled from Rs. 10,478 to Rs. 10,998. Well and good! But it has to be ensured that it is being paid. The government can not entrust the contractors for the same.

56 Ministers in Communications during the 68 years after Independence

02 Thursday Apr 2015

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There are 56 Communications Ministers since Independence of the country ( 1947) till now. These include Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri,  Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P.Singh, Chandra Sekhar, A.B.Vajpayee and Dr.Manmohan Singh, all for brief periods.

These Communication Ministers include prominent leaders like Rafi Ahmad Kidwai (first Communications Minister),  Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, Jagjivan Ram, H.N.Bahuguna, Brahmananda Reddy, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (who later became President of India), Prakash Singh Badal, George Fernandez (leader of the Railway Strike 1974), C.M.Stephen, V.N.Gadgil, Arjun Singh, K.P.Unnilkrishnan, Rajesh Pilot, Sushama Swaraj, Ram Vilas Paswan, Promod Mahajan,  Kapil Sibal and the present Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The government has always given prominence to the Communications Ministry. But some how in the last two decades, many of the ministers like Sukh Ram, Dayanidhi Maran, A.Raja etc. has been connected with scam and corruption cases.

Jagjivan Ram is the Communications Minister who served for the maximum period, 4 years 7 months and one of the most prominent leaders. None has served for full  5 years. In addition to the Prime Ministers, there are few other ministers  who functioned as Communications Ministers for one or two months, or even a few days only.

7,759 villages in Rajasthan declared as Scarcity -hit

02 Thursday Apr 2015

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As per the recommendations of a government committee which looked in to the matter, the Rajasthan Government has declared 7,759 villages in 22 districts, out of a total 33 districts, as scarcity hit.  The main reason is the failure of the rabi crops. Immediate action is required to give maximum assistance to the affected people.

 

Not a single Olympics Gold Medal for India during last 60 years

02 Thursday Apr 2015

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” It has been 60 years since the country,with 120 crore population, won a gold at Olympics.”- Olympian and sports legend Milkha Singh.

What is wrong with our Sports? System failure or talent shortage? Serious question to be discussed and answers found.

Protest government decision to put workers pension fund in share market

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in General, Neo-liberal policy

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The Government has decided to invest 5 to 15 percent of workers Provident Fund amount in share market,  ignoring the strong opposition by the entire trade union movement.  In the EPF Organisation, the Central Trade Unions have vehemently opposed the same earlier.

The entire workers have to protest and defeat the anti-worker decision of the government. The 11 Central Trade Unions are expected to organise the protest effectively.

Former Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran’s property worth Rs. 742 crore attached by ED

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in Corruption, Telecom

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NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate officials on Wednesday attached DMK leader and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran’s properties worth over Rs 742 crore in the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal.

Earlier, Dayanidhi Maran was interrogated over 2-3 days at ED’s Delhi office in the first week of December, 2014.

The agency had registered a case against the Marans under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and is trailing “proceeds of crime” to the tune of Rs 742 crore allegedly laundered by the brothers. (TOI)

Sukh Ram, A.Raja, now Dayanidhi Maran! The Communications Ministry is a gold pot.