The government PSU, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL), was sold to Tata in 2002 for a song. While its assets worth more than Rs.10,000 crore, VSNL was sold to Tata for Rs.1321 crore! But the 773.13 acres land of VSNL was not sold. Now the Government is in move to sell that also. Of course for another song. DOT has cleared the files for selling the land. These lands are lying in the 4 cities of Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai in the centres of the cities.

Voice has to be raised against such looting of the Nations wealth.

True colour of the Government is coming out.  In the face of clinching  evidences on the irregularities and non-rollout after getting the licenses as required under the license conditions,Government had to admit in the Supreme Court that 103 of 122 licenses given in 2008   did not roll out services. But the government is not willing to cancel the licenses. Its contention is that it will jeopardise Foreign investments. So the government is prepared to accept corruption and irregularities for getting FDI. This is the way of the Government to fight corruption! The real face of the government is coming out.

Every decision in the telecom sector is compelled to change due to wrong decision. This is what happened in the selection of the CMD BSNL also. Selections are not taking place on the basis of merit but on extraneous considerations.

It has happened again. Now it is on the selection of the CMD BSNL. The present CMD Gopal Das who has been given charge after the retirement of Kuldeep Goyal is going to retire on 28th February 2011. A committee was appointed by former Minister A.Raja. The committee consisted of  Cabinet Secretary K.M.Chandrasekhar, Secretary Department of Personnel Shantanu Consul, then Secretary DOT P.J.Thomas, Ashok Jhunjhunuwala IIT Chennai , Sameer Barua from IIM Ahmedabad and N.Balakrishnan from IIS Bangalore. The election by the committee was questioned in the court which is pending.

Now, the new Committee will he headed by Cabinet Secretary K.M.Chandrasekhar and will include Principal Secretary to the PM T.K.A.Nair, Advisor to PM Sam Pitroda and  UIAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani.

Let us hope that the new committee will select a suitable person and quickly.

By one month of the implementation of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP), some companies have increased their numbers while  others have lost. While , Idea, Airtel and Tata Docomo gained, Reliance and BSNL lost heavily.

Vodafone increased its numbers by 9.2%, Idea by 8.1%, Airtel 7.4% and Tata by 2.6%. Reliance lost by 10.7% and BSNL by 6.9%

BSNL has to take urgent measures to stop this loss and get more numbers through MNP.

The DOT has put in a proposal for the merger of telecom PSUs BSNL and MTNL. In a note prepared by the Department of Telecom, it is stated that ‘ to synergise the operations of both the companies’ merger is necessary. It has also stated that there should be a restructure plan for both the companies.

The earlier proposal for merger was shelved at the time of the former minister A.Raja. After taking over the minisry by Kapil Sibal, the proposal has again been brought in to the picture. BSNL has earlied proposed to extend its services to Delhi and Mumbai, but it was rejected by the DOT. In the same way the proposal of MTNL to extend its services to Maharashtra was also rejected.

If both the PSUs were allowed to have pan India service, it would have been beneficial for the PSUs. But in order to help the private telcos, this was not done.

We have to see what are the details of the proposal.

A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour was held today, 23rd February  on the issues of the Casual and Contract workers in BSNL. This is the second meeting of the committee on this issue.

The first meeting was held on 14th January 2011 based on the Petition submitted to the Committee by me as the President of the BSNL Casual& Contract Workers Federation. Com. P.R.Natarajan, M.P., who is a member of the Committee took active interest in getting such a meeting. I had presented the case of regularisation of the Casual labour, the wages of Casual and Contract workers and also the social security benefits to the contract workers in the committee meeting. Since the replies given by the BSNL management on that day was casual and faulty, they were summoned for another session today.

To-day also, the management could not furnish satisfactory replies. I have intimated to the committee that in case more particulars are required, it can be given.

The casual and contract workers issues have become focussed after it has been taken by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.

More than 5 lakh workers marched to Parliament almost blocking the Delhi roads completely as per the call of the Central Trade Unions and the national federations including BSNLEU. The workers were protesting against the price rise, anti-worker policies of the Government, focussing the issues of the unorganised workers as also against disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs.

Workers belonging to all trade unions participated in the march  with their flags, banners etc. They were stopped at the Parliament Police station where the massive rally was held. Central Trade unions leaders Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy (INTUC), Tapan Sen (CITU), Gurudas Dasgupta (AITUC) and other leaders addressed.

This huge rally was a warning to the Government to address to the concerns of the workers.

The address of Smt. Prathibha Patil, President of India, to the joint Session of Parliament heralding the Budget Session was delivered on 21st February. In her address she said that the UPA government is committed to addressing frontally the concern at the lack of probity, transparency and integrity in public life.

It is not only concern that is required. The government should take stringent action against all those who have abused power and had been lacking in probity, transparency and integrity. Will her government act? That is the moot question.

All those business czars are being exposed one after another. In connection with the 2G Scam , CBI is summoning the bosses of those telecom companies who got 2G license in 2008.

Reliance Chairman Anil Ambani, Essar CEO Prashant Ruia, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, Videocom Chairman Venugopal Dhoop, his brother and Member of Parliament Rajkumar Dhoot, DB Etisalat boss Shahid Balwa – all these have been summoned and grilled by CBI so far. More big business bosses are going to be summoned.

Corruption, bribery, manipulation and what not! The dirty tricks of these tycoons are being exposed one after another. The neo-liberal policies initiated by the Government has made all these a daily affair. Stringent action should be taken against the culprits, however mighty they are.