quipment crunch due to the inefficient management and the protracted procurement procedure is one of the most important factors which have paralysed the growth of BSNL. Further, the intervention of the government at crucial times to stop the management from purchasing materials was the worst reason.
It is in this context that the importance of Telecom Factories is to be considered. BSNL has got 7 telecom factories viz. Alipore, Gopalpur, Kharagpore ( all in Kolkata Telecom Factory Circle), Jabalpore, Richai, Bhilai ( all in Jabalpur Telecom Factory Circle) and Mumbai. The Alipore factory was the first established shortly after the telegraph services started. At the time of II World War, a portion of the installations were transported and installed at Wright Town in Jabalpore to ensure that even if Japan attacks Kolkata, another telecom factory will be functioning. Other factories were established after the telephone services developed fast. These factories are spread over hundreds of acres with sufficient space for expansion to any extent.
The bolt from the blue came in 1997-98, when the report of the V Central Pay Commission was submitted. It recommended closure or privatisation of the telecom factories. Though not a recognised union then, All India Telecom Employees Union Class III (Namboodiri) took up the matter with the Parliamentary Consultative Committee chaired by Com. Somnath Chatterjee, who called a meeting of the DOT and Unions. After hearing both, the Committee recommended that the factories are not to be closed, but modernised and strengthened as the union had demanded. Due to this recommendation, the telecom factories continue even now. Another effort was made by BSNL to close the factory at Kharagpore stating that the items like posts being manufactured in that factory are no more required and hence it can be closed. BSNL Employees Union went on strike and as per its suggestions, the manufacturing of towers started there.
But the management was least interested in modernisation. It was interested in purchasing items from outside. But on the sustained pressure from the union, items like towers, Optical fibre MDF etc. are still manufactured in the telecom factories.
What is required is modernisation. The Broadband Modem, cables, telephone instruments, Optical Fibre Cables etc. are in large demand and the same can be manufactured in addition to the towers.(Thousands of completed towers are lying in the factories, but the circles are purchasing towers from outside. This practice should be completely stopped). For this, expert Engineers trained in the manufacturing should be specially appointed in all the factories and the workers trained suitably.
The Telecom Factories and C-DOT should be developed so that they can be utilised for R&D and also for manufacturing as was done earlier. And according to the new directives of the government R&D is to be increased and local manufacturing should be ensured at least up to 30%. If these directions are implemented by DOT and BSNL, a lot of equipment crunch could be avoided to a certain extent.
