The decision of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations to collect one crore signature from the public on the Memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding immediate action for Revival of BSNL and strengthen the vital telecom PSU is the most appropriate one.  BSNL has become loss making only because of the anti-PSU decisions of the governments, both UPA and NDA, in order to favour the private telecom companies as per the neo-liberal policies being adopted by them. It is only due to the sustained struggles and agitations under the Joint Forum / Forum of BSNL Unions/ Associations that BSNL is still alive. Otherwise it would have been pushed to disinvestment and gradual privatisation like VSNL.

The BSNL employees and their organisations can not allow this to happen.  BSNL has to be alive in the interest of the people, the Nation. For that, the support of the people is very much necessary. We can not sit inside the offices and hope. We have to go to the people, tell them the truth and mobilise them for the revival of BSNL. This is the immediate task.

Hence, all the BSNL employees and their organisations should immediately start meeting the people and collecting signatures in the  Memorandum given below. The General Secretaries of the Unions/Organisations might have already circulated the same to their members. Unity and Struggle and Struggle for Unity to defend BSNL.

SAVE BSNL – SAVE NATION

Dated: 14.12.2014

MEMORANDUM TO THE PRIME MINISTER

SAVE BSNL – SAVE INDIA

To

Shri Narendra Modi,

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,

New Delhi – 110001

Respected Prime Minister,

We, the people of this country, are very much worried about the present financial position and services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the telecom public sector company, which was formed in 2000 from the Department of Telecom. Most of us have been the users of the telecom service from the DoT, before corporatisation and also continue now with BSNL.

During the last few years, we understand that the market share of BSNL has come down to about 10%, the services are not as efficient as earlier and development and expansion are not taking place as it should be. There is an urgent need to improve BSNL’s services, as well as it’s development and expansion.

We understand that BSNL is running in loss for the last four years since 2009-2010, with an accumulated loss of about Rs. 28,000 crore, though it was earning good profit during the earlier 9 years with a cumulative profit of Rs. 48,000 crore. We are informed that BSNL is weakened mainly due to the present Neo-Liberal policies of the government, which favours the private companies instead of its own company BSNL. The assurances like payment of ADC to BSNL, reimbursement of Licence Fee paid by BSNL to DOT and liberal grant from the USO Fund for the loss incurred by BSNL for providing connections in rural areas, as part of the universal service obligation of the government, have been stopped without any justification, causing grievous loss to BSNL. We are of the strong opinion that these assistance to BSNL should be restored and the assurances should be honoured.

The main reason for the deterioration of services is the scarcity of equipments like mobile, broadband modem, drop wire, telephone equipment, cable etc. which has seriously and adversely affected   the services. When BSNL had sufficient funds and finalised tenders for procurement of mobile equipment, which was urgently required in 2006, the same was got cancelled three times at the instance of the government to favour the private companies. Had those tenders been finalised and equipments been purchased, BSNL would have been the number one in the telecom sector. At least now, the government should facilitate BSNL to get loans from the Nationalised Banks, which will enable it purchase the required equipments, including towers, which will improve the quality of it’s services.

The proposed formation of other companies from BSNL, like Tower company etc. will only resut in disintegration and as such should be discontinued. The proposal of BSNL’s merger with MTNL, a Company with a huge liability of Rs. 20,000 crore, will seriously hamper the revival of BSNL.

Under this situation, we request that the following actions be taken immediately for the revival and strengthening of BSNL and for a better services to the people:

1. Filling up of the posts of 2 BSNL Directors, including that of the CMD, immediately, which are vacant for months.
2. Stop formation of a subsidiary Tower Company. BBNL should be merged with BSNL.
3. Sufficient compensation to BSNL for providing loss making landline connections in rural areas.
4. Procurement of equipment for development, expansion and better service with more focus on laying of optical fibre cables and installation of more towers to strengthen the transmission network.
5. Transfer of assets to BSNL from DOT.
6. Drop proposal of merger of BSNL and MTNL.
7. Free Allotment of spectrum to BSNL.
8. Provide financial assistance to BSNL to expand network.
9. BSNL should provide 4G Services.
10. Refund of Rs. 6,000 crore BWA spectrum charges to BSNL by the government for the spectrum surrendered by BSNL.
11. Fresh Recruitment of staff.
12. BSNL service to be mandatory to central/state governments and PSUs.We request once again that the Honourable Prime Minister be kind enough to do the needful so that the Public sector telecom company, BSNL, is revived and better service is provided to the people as before.

Yours Faithfully,