As per the request of the CBI, the special CBI judge has extended the remand of former Communications Minister A.Raja and DB Etisalat Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa for further remand for 3 days and four days respectively.

Many skeletons from the cup board are falling apart. The 2G Scam has created a situation where every body is attacking every other person and finding fault with. Now it is between Ratan Tata, owner of Tata Tele Services and Anil Ambani, owner of Reliance Communications.

Both accuse the other for having got undue and unjustified favour from the government. Both can be true, because the government was favouring all private operators and at the same time putting road blocks in front of the PSUs, BSNL and MTNL, which do not get any favour at all.

The entire telecom policy of the government is nothing but all favours to the private telcos and all roadblocks for telecom PSUs.

Whether the present scam and enquiries will compel the government to change its priorities? Let us see.

It seems that our continued pressure had its effect. The orders granting recognition and representative union status to BSNLEU, the number one union in the V membership verification , has been issued today, 15th February morning. Orders granting facilities to the union has also been issued.

Now that the orders are issued, BSNLEU has to start work seriously. There is no much time to be wasted. The National Council /Circle Council/Local Council has to be constituted quickly and meetings held to discuss important issues. All other committees also has to start functioning. Two years are a short period and unless we start immediately, there will not be time for us to settle the long pending issues.

The earlier, the better.

The Results of the Membership Verification in BSNL was announced on 4th February 2010, but the orders on recognition has not been issued so far, because the CMD has been continuously on tour and attending meetings. At about 2000 hours today I contacted Shri Gopal Das CMD and enquired about the recognition order. CMD stated that he is in the office and the file will be cleared tonight itself and the orders will be issued tomorrow. But why so much delay has taken in such an important issue?

Despite the fact that Government has been continuously giving warning and ultimatum to BlackBerry to install arrangements for the interception of its calls/SMS etc. it has not favourably responded so far. And the government is not taking action. It seems that BlackBerry maker RIM is more powerful than the Government. Or whether the government is not putting the pressure that is required? The coming days will show.

But one thing is clear. There are powerful individuals or governments behind the RIM.

CBI has started catching the private telcos who has benefitted out of turn in the 2G allocation in 2008. Yesterday CBI called senior officers of S-Tel, Unitech, Loop Telecom, Swan Telecom, Reliance Communications and other companies and questioned them.

According to CBI, the complaints against these companies are violation of first-come-first served policy, tampering of cut off date and failure to meet the eligibility criteria.

DB Reality promoter Shahid Balwa was also questioned in connection with the scam.

Enquiries are going on. What will happen? Whether this enquiry also will be a cover up?Let us see.

Former communications Minister Arun Shourie has been summoned by the CBI to appear before it in connection with the 2G Scam. Arun Shourie was the Communications Minister in the Bajpai’s NDA government during the period January 2003 to May 2004. He has been summoned by the CBI in the 2G scam with regard to the allocation of spectrum and policy decisions at that time.

It seems that since the government started the neo-liberal policy and entry of private operators in telecom, every thing has been going in a wrong way to support and for the benefit of the private companies mingled with high corruption.

There is no justification for the Finance Department to oppose and delay the increased interest rate of 9.5% from 8.5% decided by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation. Unnecessary objections are being raised by Finance. The real issue is that the big business has stated that they can not pay the increased rate and the government support them. The employees right for increased right can not be taken away by the finance ministry. The Central Board of Trustees of EPFO has replied to all queries raised by the finance and clearly told that there is full justification for the increase. The increase in the interest rate has been a long pending demand of the trade unions.

The Finance should immediately approve the decision of the EPFO and pay the higher rate of interest, instead of dilly dallying in the matter. It is already 6 months since the decision has been taken by the EPFO on 15th September 2010.

BSNL Employees Union is going to complete 10years of glorious service  by March 2011. It was formed on 22nd March 2001 in the historic Telecom Convention held at Visakhapatnam by merging all the existing progressive unions. During the last ten years it has grown to be the biggest union in BSNL and has been the recognised and representaive unin since 2005. In the recent V Membership Verification also, it has won with huge majority.

BSNL Employees Union has decided to celebrate the event. A Central Executive Committee meeting will be held during the time, the place for which will be decided shortly.

Let all of us make the 10 years celebration a great success.

Disinvestment Department is never idle. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the follow on Public Offer (FPO) of PFC (Power Finance Corporation. The issue will raise 15% fresh equity as also 5 % disinvestment. The PSU at present have 78% equity at present and will have 85% after disinvestment. The PSU hopes to get Rs. 5372 crore through the present exercise. Employees will be offered share on 5% discount.

HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the defence PSU also is looking for disinvestment. At present 100% shares are held by the government.

It is certain that the workers in these PSUs will oppose these disinvestments.