17 Thursday Apr 2014
It is reported that the telecom department has asked Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd to take over the management and maintenance of the long-awaited government network for confidential intra-departmental communications, after the Centre for Development of Telematics failed to execute the project on time.
This will give some relief to the MTNL to tide over its financial crisis.
17 Thursday Apr 2014
Posted in Telecom
The Supreme Court has stated that the CAG can audit the accounts of the private telecom companies. The decision was given in the appeal filed by the private companies against the order of the Delhi High Court allowing CAG to audit the accounts.
The SC stated that since the telecom companies, as per the conditions, are to pay a share of the revenue to the Government, the government / CAG has the authority to audit and check the accounts.
This decision will expose the private companies, if they have cheated the government. Government can taken necessary action also.
12 Saturday Apr 2014
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DOT and BSNL for the year 2014-15 has been signed on 27th March 2014, four days before the start of the New Financial year. The targets are moderate and seems to be practicable.
The Very Good Financial Targets for the year 2014-15 is as below:
Sales Turnover : Rs. 29,000 crores
Gross Operating Margin : Rs. 1,180 Crores
In addition the targets for Finalization of policy for organisational restructuring and implementation during the year and other parameters also have been noted. One of these is the Formulation of subsidiary of BSNL Tower Assets with a target date of 31-12-2014. As far as the workers are concerned, they are strongly opposing the formation of a subsidiary company, which is unnecessary and against the interest of BSNL.
On the CAPEX for Capacity Expansion, it has been given a target of additional 100 lakh lines of GSM, OFC of additional 20,000 Route Kms, Replacement of Wireline Exchanges by NGN with 5 lakh Customer migrations etc. Since no dates have been fixed the target date may be 31-03-2015.
Completion of ongoing Projects include the laying of OFC for Defence project (Network for Spectrum) to lay 40,000 Route Kms of Cable, National Optic fibre Network (NOFN) to connect 73,500 Gram Panchayats and also commissioning of 1,200 GSM BTSs.
Targets have been fixed for Productivity and Internal Process, Human Resource Management, Sector Enterprise Specific Parameters including net addition in GSM Mobile Connections (100 lAKH), Broadband Connections( 30 lakhs) implementation of ERP ( 10 Circle) etc.
The Rs. 29,000 crore Revenue Targets have been distributed among the following Verticals: Consumer Fixed Assets (Rs. 12,500 crores), Consumer Mobility ( Rs.13,500 crores) Enterprise Business (Rs. 3,600 crores) and New business ( Rs. 300 crores).
As usual all other conditions of submitting Quarterly Report to the DOT, Annual report to the DPE etc. are mentioned.
The Memorandum of Understanding are signed every year as usual. But what is the fulfilment of the Targets and parameters? According to our information, which may be incorrect also,most of these targets and parameters are never completed. Have they been fulfilled, whether the company, BSNL would have gone in to loss?
In fact, the OFC Project for Defence (NFS) and NOFN would have been finished much earlier according to the earlier Project formulation. The same with the Towers in the naxalite area.
What is plaguing the BSNL is the projects are never fulfilled. These are known to the management, but are never discussed with the 2,50,000 workforce who are also much interested in the better future of the company.
With such a large workforce, with more than 50,000 well trained technical executives and about two lakh committed workers, why the Management is unable to reach the targets fixed after much discussion and planning. There is a certain inertia somewhere in the lines. There is a casual attitude some where. This has got to be changed. Instead of sitting in the office, the majority of the executives and non-executives should be in the field.
Take the workforce also in to confidence in executing and fulfilling the targets. ITS, Executive or Non-Executive – all should realise that unless one’s full energy and effort is not utilised in expansion, development and service, it is difficult for BSNL to survive, leave alone improving.
Our demand to the BSNL Management is to make a detailed Plan for fulfilling the targets, take the workers and their unions /associations in to confidence, discuss with them how to implement the plans even before target dates and then move in to action.Is the BSNL Management capable of doing this exercise ? If so, well and good. However, the workers are determined to ensure that the company survives, strengthens and provide a better service to the nation. And certainly they have to ensure that the Management functions as it should be.
A united and joint effort is sure to win. The people of the country prefer BSNL to any other private telecom provider, because they know that it is not the profit motive that moves BSNL, but the service-motive.
Let Us March Ahead to Provide a Better Service to the Nation!
04 Friday Apr 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, PSU, Telecom
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A committee appointed by the DoT has recommended use of renewable energy like Solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, hybrid power systems and battery technologies to power the telecom towers in the country. The committee was appointed for recommending Implementation of Renewable Energy Technology in the Telecom Sector’. The recommendations, if implemented will reduce the cost for diesel, petrol etc. which is presently used and which is very costly.Further the pollution and green-house gases which are unhealthy can be reduced. BSNL spends huge amount towards fuel like diesel and petrol and also electricity which expenditure is only next to salary of the employees. BSNL Management should take this opportunity to change in to the renewable energy for its towers, numbering more than 62,000. There are 5.85 lakhs total towers in the country.
16 Sunday Mar 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News, Telecom
Last year, immediately after the naxalite attack and brutal murder of 27 Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh in June 2013, the Central Government had announced that 2,199 towers (BTS) will be erected in the naxalite areas of 9 states viz. M.P., Chhattisgarh, A.P.,Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, W.Bengal, Odisha and U.P. It was also stated that BSNL will be entrusted with the task and the project will be completed within one year.
But so far only 363 towers have been erected by BSNL though one year is going to be completed by June 2014.
The matter was discussed by the Forum both with the Secretary, DOT and also with the CMD BSNL. The information received is that the amount approved by the DOT on the proposal submitted by BSNL is Rs.789 less and hence the delay. Now there is a chance for increasing the amount also due to increase in cost of materials.
Now again, there was a brutal attack by the naxalites in which 15 persons including Policemen have been killed.
The Government, DOT and BSNL should understand that the project is intended to save the lives of the people and requires most immediate attention. They should discuss immediately and find out a solution to this problem.
It is reported that the Telecom Commission will meet and discuss this issue by the month end. Why so much delay when the election is already announced and the candidates and parties will have to go interior places for campaign. The earlier the better.
10 Monday Mar 2014
The Central Home Ministry has charged Vodafone, telecom company based in UK and providing service in India, of secretly sharing its data with the British Intelligence and security organisation “Govt. Communication head Quarters(GCHQ”).
Though Vodafone has denied the charge, it is well known that foreign telecom companies are sharing the data with their governments. What is required is not only accusing them, but completely ban them from providing service in india.
The government has been giving a long rope to the Vodafone. There are two or more cases pending against them for not paying the taxes, which has accumulated to about Rs. 30,000 crore. But the government failed to collect the same.And now this serious charge of espionage.
The Government should take immediate action instead of dancing to the tune of the MNCs.
26 Wednesday Feb 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News, Telecom
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The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has been continuously demanding the Government and DOT that the Notional Loan of Rs.7500 crore put in the records of the BSNL should be waived and that the interest and capital amount already paid by BSNL should be refunded to BSNL. Now the following report in Business Line indicates that the Cabinet may consider waiving of the balance notional loan. That is not sufficient. The entire loan should be waived and that the amount already paid by BSNL should be refunded.
The report in the Business Line is reproduced below:
The Union Cabinet is likely to a take call on waiver of notional loan on BSNL estimated to be around Rs 7,500 crore in its next meeting on February 28.
“Cabinet may take up notional loan waiver matter of BSNL on February 28. With interest and other charges, it is estimated to be around Rs 7,500 crore,” a source told PTI.
Since the time of corporatisation of BSNL in October 2000, a 15-year notional loan has been showing in the financial books of loss making state-run telecom firm.
The loan is being discharged at the rate of 14.5 per cent and penal interest of 2.75 per cent over and above normal rate interest rate.
An amount of about Rs 983 crore as principal remains outstanding against BSNL on which the interest is charged by government.
BSNL has been logging losses since 2009-10. The company’s profits had started declining after 2004-05, when it had made net gains of Rs 10,183 crore.
The public sector firm had posted a loss of about Rs 7,784 crore in financial year 2012-13.
Government has constituted Group of Ministers, headed by P Chidambaram, to revive loss making telecom firms BSNL and MTNL. The proposal of notional loan waiver is part of various recommendations made by the GoM to Cabinet for BSNL.
26 Wednesday Feb 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Telecom
The media has reported that the delay in the cabinet decision for payment of Rs.1,500 crore to BSNL, Powergrid and Railtel (70%, 15%, 15%) for the administrative charges is delaying the NOFN activities. The National Optical Fibre Networks proposes to connect the villages through out he country, which is an ambitious programme of the government.
The government should pay the amount to the BSNL and others to enable them to move quickly and proceed with the laying of the cables etc.
25 Tuesday Feb 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Telecom
Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum, today (25-02-2010) met Shri N.Ravi Shankar, Administrator, Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and discussed about the assistance to be provided to BSNL from the Fund. Com. Namboodiri asked the Administrator to release the Rs. 1,250 crore which is approved for BSNL for 2012-13 in lieu of ADC at the earliest. He stated that there was much delay from BSNL for getting reply to certain clarifications. After getting the clarifications, they have been forwarded NIC for approval. Once the approval comes, the amount will be released.
The Administrator also stated that the NOFN, installation of 2200 towers in the naxalite area, the network for the defence for release of spectrum etc. are being delayed and require urgent attention by BSNL, for which funds are being allotted by the USOF.
23 Sunday Feb 2014
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It is reported that Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Jio may start 4G services by September 2014. This probably may be the first 4G service in India.
With its deep pockets, Reliance jio may try to capture the 4G Market quickly.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 