Category Archives: BSNL – Better Service to the Nation

The BSNL Employees under the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations are making all out efforts to ensure a better service to the customers. It has given a detailed Memorandum to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Communications Minister, Secretary DOT, CMD BSNL etc. with proposals for improvement and strengthening the company. The issues coming in this category are connected with the same.

We Still Remember Telegrams, though closed last year

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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24th October is a special day for the Telecom. It was on this day 163 years earlier in 1851, that the Telegram Services started in India. The first message was between Calcutta (Telecom Factory) and Diamond Harbour.
Telegraph Services flourished quickly and was the quickest mode of communications till telephones was introduced. For documentary purposes telegram was the best mode still.
It ended its 163 years of grand existence in India on 15th July 2013, on the plea of less telegrams and lack of profitability. We protested and wanted at least that the services continue in the Metros as a token service. But the government was firm to close the shop. The love and affection the people had for the service was shown on the last day when hundreds of people waited at the CTOs in major cities to send the last telegrams. There were very big queues even at 24.00 hours on 15th July still waiting to send telegrams when the service closed for ever.
The Heritage buildings which accommodated the CTOs in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai will be last monuments of the Telegraph Services.

I am reproducing a post which was published in this blog last year when the Telegram was closed:

On 24th October 1851, the Telegraph Service is introduced in India by the British. The first message went from Calcutta to Diamond Harbour.
Within no time the Telegraph Services grew. From a service for official use, it became an essential service for the people to communicate urgent information. It was utilised by the business in a very large way. Telegraph offices were opened in all parts of the country.
The introduction of telephone services, mobile telephones, fax, internet and latest communication systems dealt a serious blow to the telegraph services. From crores and lakhs of telegraph messages in the country, it was reduced in to thousands and hundreds in a day.Still many people were using it. It would have continued for years more as the Tram Service in Kolkata.

But NO. The government of India and the Management of BSNL wanted to terminate it, to bury it even before it died. And on 15th July 2013, it was unceremoniously buried for ever.

But lakhs of ordinary people like me still remember the days of telegram with nostalgia. Whether it is news of passing in the examination, whether it is a birthday greetings, or even an intimation of death – telegram brought it to your house intimating good and bad news! That is why, on the last few days before 15th July 2013, people came in thousands to the telegraph office to send their last messages. And lo! Many people could not send the messages due to the huge rush.
The next generation will not be able to understand what telegram was to the common people. I still feel a great loss. I still feel guilty that we could not stop the closure of telegraph services, despite the strong protest of the Unions.

Where BSNL is going ? – A thought on Diwali Day !

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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Today, North India is celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The South has already celebrated the Deepavali, again the festival of lights, yesterday. All over India, yesterday or today the festival is celebrated with lighting of lamps, decorations, cracker firing, giving gifts, consuming a lot of sweets, big purchases etc. The business community see this as the biggest opportunity for grand sales. Personal Greetings, SMS Greetings all goes on merrily.It really is a festival of lights and happiness. We wish everybody a Very Happy Diwali, Deepavali.

But there is no light or happiness, when thinking of BSNL and its future. Darkness is coming with the market share dropping and the losses continuing. The slight improvement seems to have been evaporated.There is a lull. The assurances and declarations of the government to support and subsidise have not been implemented and honoured.

But every dark night ends in a bright morning. Against all odds, the workers have to put their strength and vigour and rally the entire people of the country for reviving BSNL, the communication lines of the common people. Each and every worker should be part of this big campaign. There is no doubt that we will succeed. Let us continue this great campaign and struggle to revitalise BSNL and for a better service to the people.

How Air India was financially ruined by Government ?

19 Sunday Oct 2014

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Air India was running well and there was modest profit. It all changed after its merger with India Airlines and the intervention of Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel compelling the company to purchase more than double the planes it did not really require.

Shri Jitender Bhargava, a former Executive Director of Air India, in a forth right article in the “Economic Times” dated 19th October 2014 asserts that the Air India has gone down due to the quixotic plane order by the company. While the Director Board of the Air India only wanted 28 air crafts to be purchased,the ministry under Praful Patel compelled them to order 68 air crafts. Air India was having only Rs. 8,000 crore annual revenue and the profit was only wafer thin. It had no reserve fund.

The cost of the 68 planes ordered was Rs. 39,000 crore.If the planes had to be purchased, the company will have to take loans for which an annual interest of Rs. 2,000 crore has to be paid. It was a cruel decision and a financial tragedy would be the result.

The article reviews through the decision making process and how the Minister dictated and compelled the management to issue the order for 68 planes. The director, who even made some remarks on the non-viability of the plan was terminated from the Board.

The quixotic plane order at the behest of minister was the main reason for the financial trouble and down fall of Air India. This is how the Government ensured that the Air India goes down and the private airlines benefit.

In telecom sector, BSNL, the PSU, was humbled and made financially unviable in another way. If in Air India, order was given for more than required planes, in BSNL it was by cancellation of the 45 million mobile equipment order, which was urgently required by BSNL to expand its services, that the government managed to start the downfall of BSNL. It was Communication Minister Raja who accomplished this for the government by compelling the management to cancel the order. It was only through the united struggle of the workers under the leadership of the JAC of BSNL Unions/Associations in July 2007 that at least half of the 45 million lines could be got ordered. But the further cancellation of the tender for 93 million and 5 million sealed the fate of BSNL. The entire cash balance of Rs. 40,000 crore with BSNL was taken away by the government in the name of notional loan, its huge interest, spectrum charges and so on.

Whether it is the UPA or NDA government, the motto is ” Business is not the Business of the Government” and wants to hand over all the PSUs to the MNCs and Corporates. Of course, it is these corporates and MNCs which have donated lakhs of crores of rupees to both BJP and Congress in the elections and they have to be repaid by undue favours.

It is high time that these ruling classes have to be exposed. It is also necessary that the persons responsible should be booked and punished for destroying the valuable assets of the nation.

Our Strong Protest against Arbitrary Implementation of Deloittee Committee Recommendations

16 Thursday Oct 2014

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The BSNL Management states one thing and acts in another way. When the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations expressed its strong protest against the anti-BSNL recommendations of the Consultants M/s Deloittee it was assured that the same will be discussed with the staff unions/associations before its implementation.

But now through letter dated 14-10-2014, the BSNL Management has arbitrarily directed the CGM Maharashtra to implement the recommendations of the Deloittee Committee recommendations on the reconstitution of the SSAs.

This is completely unacceptable. We strongly protest against this arbitrary decision without discussing with the Forum/ unions/ associations. Forum demands the BSNL Management to cancel the order or at least keep the order in abeyance till it is discussed with the unions/associations.

BSNL Market Share 11.04 and in fifth position.

16 Thursday Oct 2014

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BSNL Market Share is coming down. As on August 2014 it is only 11.04%. It has gone down to the 5th position in the total connections.
The total telephone connections in the country as on 31-08-2014 is 95.21 crore, out of which 10.51 crore are of BSNL.
BSNL has lost 81 lakhs connection during 2014-15 and 7 lakh in August 2014 alone.

These are bad news. While almost all telecom operators are increasing their connections, BSNL is going down. Very unfortunate.

It is high time some serious discussion and action is required by the BSNL Management and workers.

Organise International Workers’ Day on 3rd October 2014

02 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, WFTU, WORLD NEWS

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The International Workers’ Day is being observed on 3rd October for the last few years as per call of the World Federation of Trade unions (WFTU). It was on this day that the WFTU was formed in 1945. Every year the WFTU allots a theme / slogan for the year’s International Day. Last year the theme was Water, Housing, Medicine and Education.
This year the theme is ‘unemployment’. There are millions of youngsters in the world who do not have jobs. In India, the number has reached many crores. It is increasing every year. The neo-liberal policies have resulted in reduction of jobs and increase of unemployment.Though lip-service is done by the Government, no practical action is taken to provide jobs for all. To a certain extent, this is the situation in the capitalist countries also.

This International Day of Workers will focus on the issue of unemployment. In India the Day is being observed jointly by the Left trade Unions like CITU, AITUC etc. The Independent Federations in the various sectors as also the central and State government employees are also joining. The AIBDPA, pensioners’ organisation of the DOT-BSNL and also the Casual and Contract workers in BSNL are joining in the observation of the Day.All the units of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF are requested to join the united programme of the trade unions on 3rd October. If the programme is organised on another day due to the festival on that day, we should also join the same.

In Delhi, CITU, AITUC and other Left trade Unions along with Independent Federations will observe International workers day on 4th October.A procession will start at 1300 hours from AITUC office on Deena Dayal Upadhyaya Road and hold the meeting at CITU Office.

Make all arrangements for the successful observance of the day.

‘Government has no Business to be in Business’ – Modi

02 Thursday Oct 2014

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Prime Minister Modi has stated at Washington at the end of his US tour that the “Government has no business to be in business”.

It is not a new slogan. The Bajpai Government earlier used the same slogan in a different way stating that ” Business is not the business of the government.” And then government started privatising PSUs one after another like BALCO, ITC Hotels and so on.

But the original slogan have another owner. It is the World Bank, which mooted the slogan. Both NDA and UPA governments were only repeating what the World Bank has told.

The PSUs have always been a thorn in the eyes of the private sector and the world financial institutions, since they put barriers in the maximisation of profits by the MNCs and big business. The Modi Government wants to remove this barrier by privatising the PSUs. Since the NDA government has got brutal majority, it feels that it can do this easily.

But the democratic forces will not allow such a thing to happen. The Trade unions in the country will also not allow such demolition of PSUs. The workers have to be vigilant and prepared for united struggles to save the PSUs.

How to strengthen BSNL, How to give Better Service?

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

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The Forum and all the unions/Associations have been on the task of strengthening BSNL as also for giving a better service to the customers. But except some slight improvement, the situation continues. The only satisfaction is that the services have not gone down further.
Today is the 14th Birth Anniversary of the BSNL. It is our duty to ensure improvement both in expansion and service to the people. Only if all the employees, management and the government join together, the task can be completed successfully.

GREETINGS ON BSNL DAY, 1 OCTOBER !

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

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BSNL is completing 14 years of its service to the people of India on this 1st October 2014. It was formed on 1st October 2000, converted from the Department of Telecom and Department of Telecom Services to a Public Sector Unit. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) and Mahanagar Telephones Nigam Limited were also formed earlier in the same way. VSNL is already sold to the Tata Telecommunications for a meagre amount, coming not even to half of its real price. Hence the workers have not allowed even 1% of disinvestment.

The immediate task is the Revival of BSNL. The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations and all the unions/Associations are together in strengthening the organisation. But unless the government changes its policy and the management starts functioning effectively, it will be very difficult.

However, we are optimistic. Let us bring all the stakeholders together to work and strengthen BSNL and provide a better service to the nation.

Let this be the task for the 15th year of BSNL !

TRAI acts as Private telecom spokesman

26 Friday Sep 2014

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NOFN project has been entrusted with the three PSUs, BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid. The process is going on. There has been some delay due to tender and connected matters. This delay is being utilised by the TRAI Chairman to include private telecom companies also in the project.
We strongly protest against the unusual intervention of the TRAI to hand over the project to private companies. This project should be done by the PSUs who are fully capable to do the work. BSNL and other two PSUs should also ensure that the work is completed early so that people will get the benefit early.