28 Thursday Jul 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
A massively participated meeting was held at Central Telegraph Office hall at Kolkata jointly by BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF W.Bengal Circle on 27th July 2016 to celebrate
26 Tuesday Jul 2016
The telephone service in India was first started by private companies. The earlier decision to start the service by British Government itself was changed and private companies were allotted the service.
It was the Oriental Telephone Company of England / Bengal Telephone company which opened the telephone exchanges in the major cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Ahmedabad. In the capital city of Calcutta, the ‘Central Exchange’was opened on 28th January 1882. The exchange had a total of 93 connections. Afterwards, exchanges at Bombay etc. were opened.
All these exchanges were feminized with only women telephone operators. These companies were taken over by the government during the early 1940s. The process was fully completed by 1947. The telephone exchanges in the areas ruled by the kings were also taken over by the government.
Since that period till the middle of 1990s,it was only P and T Department / Telecom Department which run the telephone services in India. The BJP government is trying to turn the clock backwards by planning to sell the BSNL and MTNL to strategic partners. This has to be fought with all our strength and defeated.
26 Tuesday Jul 2016
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners
Massive meeting of AIBDPA and CORTO Calcutta Telephones
Hundreds of BSNL Pensioners under the leadership of AIBDPA and CORTO attended the meeting on 26th July 2016 at Calcutta CTO organized to celebrate the achievement of 78.2% IDA Pension fixation and rescinding of 60% condition on payment of pension by the government. The large CTO hall was fully packed with the pensioners with almost as much pensioners sitting outside the hall.
The meeting was presided over by Coms. Suprya Mitra and B.Chakraborty, Presidents of AIBDPA and CORTO respectively. Coms. Ananta Bhattacharjee, senior leader and all India President AIBDPA, D.Basu, AGS and Secretary CORTO, Swastika Das Gupta, Org. Secretary AIBDPA, Sanjeeb Banerjee, Circle secretary, Calcutta Telephones, Prabir Dutta, Dilip Das, Mihir Das Gupta, Gouri Haldar, Adhir Kumar Sen, Sisir Kr. Roy, Subhashis Roy and other leaders of BSNLEU and AIBDPA were present in the dias / addressed.
Cos. VAN Namboodiri, Advisor and Ananta Bhattacharjee All India President AIBDPA were honoured with flower bouquet and shawls for the great achievement of the pensioners.
Com. VAN Namboodiri in his speech mentioned about the various struggles conducted by AIBDPA and Forum of BSNL Unions and Workers, including the Parliament March by AIBDPA, the 2 days strike called by the Forum, meeting the Minister and Secretary DOT and other agiational programmes for settlement of the issue. Not only the 78.2% IDA pension fixation is settled but also the retrograde order on only 60% liability of government for payment of pension was rescinded. He also spoke about the 2nd September Strike called by Central Trade Unions. AIBDPA has decided to extend support and solidarity to the strike and will organize demonstration on the day along with the striking BSNLEU comrades. He severely criticized the NITI Ayog recommendations for strategic sale of BSNL and MTNL and called for united struggle by the BSNL and MTNL Unions. The need to improve BSNL services was stressed. He touched on VII CPC recommendations, strike given notice of by NJAC of CG Employees, deferment on the assurance of government and connected matters. If issues are not settled and NJAC reiterates the strike call, AIBDPA will extend full solidarity and support. Com. Namboodiri also spoke about other issues of the pensioners.
Other speakers spoke and assured that AIBDPA will be further strengthened in the circle and more subscribers to Telepensioner will be enrolled.
24 Sunday Jul 2016
Posted in VISIT THE PAST
Tags
In earlier days, the Railway telegraph system was maintained by the Posts and Telegraphs Department. An Engineering Supervisor, Telegraphs (EST) will be in charge of these telegraph lines which is installed along the rail tracks and was used to communicate between the stations, control room etc. Telegraph Linemen were posted to maintain and remove the faults of these lines, which was most essential for the regular running of the trains. The Telegraph Linemen were allotted quarters by the Railways and they were treated as on 24 hours duty. He was ‘VIP'(Very Important Person) indeed!
Every morning, these linemen will call the Fault Control or the Carrier station and find out whether any fault has been reported and also to get the lines tested. It was a very tedious job for them. In the Railways Junctions, the telegraph posts were full of many wire lines, which only very experts can identify and repair. The Sub Inspector (SI) Telegraphs or the Line Inspector (LI) Telegraphs will give guidance to the Linemen in such circumstances.
Later, the Railway telegraph lines were handed over to Railways and the responsibility of maintaining and repair also went to them. Gradually, the overhead lines mostly changed to cables. Now latest technologies are used for the Railways.
24 Sunday Jul 2016
Posted in General
At present for school admission, the certificate of date of birth issued by the Municipality, Panchayat or any other authorised institution is necessary. Without the certificate, it will be difficult to get the admission. But it was not so five six decades back, especially in the rural areas.This has resulted in much confusion as also complication in later years; some interesting incidents also.
I remember an incident now with regard to the age factor. While working at Cannanore Exchange, Kerala, in the early part of the 1960s, a Line Inspector, who was entrusted with the cable work of the new exchange, died. His son was a Sub-Inspector ( Telegraphs) working at Trichur. He came along with other comrades to take the body. The son was also a senior employee and had only few years to retire. You can then imagine what must have been the real age of the LI, who was still in service, when he died. There were many such instances, since birth certificate was not available or not insisted.
Now such incidents may not happen since birth certificates are compulsory.
24 Sunday Jul 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
From early morning today, 24th July 2016, I have been getting calls, messages, Face Book postings etc. wishing a Happy Birth Day and Greetings! Yes, today is my 79th Birth Day. I convey my thanks from the heart to all of you for your affectionate wishes and Greetings, which is cherished much by me and my wife, Pankajam. I may not be able to thank every body personally and this may kindly be treated as a personal note of thanks.
My date of birth as per records in 12th June 1938.It was very late that I found out that the actual date is 24th July 1938. Birth certificates were not insisted for admission in the schools at that time in rural areas. In order to enable admission to school, June being the period for admission, either father or the school teacher might have put the date as 12th June. Otherwise, since the date of birth was usually noted in the Malayalam calendar (Lunar Calendar), some confusion might also have arisen. Hence the difference in the date of birth. I cam to know of it very late and hence could not correct the official records. In the early period many people were faced with similar problem.
Once again I thank all comrades, friends and well wishers for the Best Wishes on my Birth Day!
23 Saturday Jul 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
In Telegraph Offices, there existed two kind of peons who delivered messages to the public. They were 1) Bike peons and 2) Foot peons. The first went on bike (cycles), while the second went on foot. (Later they were called Telegraphmen).
Commission for contracting telephone connection:
Immediately after introduction of telephones in the country in the 1920s,
contractors (agents), who canvassed for providing connections were paid 5% of the amount first paid by the New subscriber!
23 Saturday Jul 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
In Telegraph Offices, there existed two kind of peons who delivered messages to the public. They were 1) Bike peons and 2) Foot peons. The first went on bike (cycles), while the second went on foot. (Later they were called Telegraphmen).
Commission for contracting telephone connection:
Immediately after introduction of telephones in the country in the 1920s,
contractors (agents), who canvassed for providing connections were paid 5% of the amount first paid by the New subscriber!
23 Saturday Jul 2016
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, BSNL, Pension
Tags
After the Cabinet decision on the 78.2% IDA Pension fixation as also pension liability of the government of the BSNL retired pensioners, the DOT has issued a very clear order vide No. 40/2013-Pen(T) dated 20-07-2016 stating that :
(a) The pension liability in respect of employees of DOT/DTS/DTO who retired prior to 01-10-2000 is solely borne by Government of India and the BSNL will have no liability in respect of these employees.
(b) The liability towards pensionary benefits, including family pension to the BSNL employees (excepting those recruited after 01-10-2000), as per sub-rule 22 of Rule 37-A of CCS (Pension)Rules, 1972, lies with the Government of India. The condition that the annual pension liability of the government shall not exceed 60% of the annual receipts to Government from the items specified in the O.M.dated 15-06-2006, is hereby rescinded.
(c) BSNL will continue to discharge pension liability by way of pension contribution in accordance with FR 116.
(Full order published in AIBDPA and BSNLEU websites).
At last, one long pending problem is clearly solved.
23 Saturday Jul 2016
Posted in General
Tags
Reports have come in the papers that the production of Video Cassette Recorder(VCR) has been stopped by the remaining production company Funai Electric of Japan.(Courtesy: Business Line)
The production of VCR by the Philips first and then by many other companies in 1970s was a hit with the people. Though the price was high initially (almost the price of a small car), gradually it came lower enabling crores of people to buy and use it. Almost every average home had one.
New technological gadgets like DVD, smart phones etc. have made the VCR obsolete to a certain extent. Finding that it is not at all profitable, all the companies have stopped its production.However, many household will continue to use the same for some more time.
Farewell to the well used VCR!
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 