On pressure from the staff unions, another tender was floated for 93 million (9.3 crore) GSM lines, but that was also cancelled at the last moment citing some vigilance issues. Next tender for 5 million lines was also cancelled on some other pretext. The Government and management together ensured that the BSNL is completely out of stock of mobile lines. It was a golden period for the private companies to give lakhs and lakhs of connections, without any competition from  BSNL. The market share of BSNL went continuously declining and reached to about 12% in the mobile sector. The private sector reached about 88% of the total mobile lines in the country.

The Forum of BSNL Unions took up the issue with the BSNL management and warned of going in to struggle if the equipment is not procured. It was not only the case of GSM lines. There was acute shortage of cables, Broad-band modem, Drop wire and other equipment required for expansion and regular maintenance of the services. No equipment was purchased for a number of years creating a critical situation.

The continued pressure of the Unions had some result. As per the management, Advance Purchase Orders have been issued  for 22 lakhs clip instruments, a good number of cables, Broadband modems, drop wire etc. But the fact is, that most of the SSAs have still not got the same. The top management should take necessary steps to immediately  get the equipment purchased and distributed or authorise the SSAs to purchase the same.

At present the procurement of equipment is done in an unplanned manner. Because there was much pressure from the Forum and unions, some purchase is made. After this, the situation may again go stagnant.  The Management should have a well-planned strategy to purchase all equipment required for the growth, expansion and maintenance.

Drop-wire is being manufactured by the BSNL Telecom Factories and the production can be increased according to the requirement. As far as towers are concerned, again the factories can manufacture any number of towers. In fact, more than two hundred towers are ready for supply in the TFs, but SSA heads are purchasing the towers from outside citing some small technical problems. These have to be solved and the TF towers should be purchased and utilised. Efforts should be made to manufacture the optical fibre cables in our own factories. Tender for sufficient mobile lines, phone instruments etc. has to be floated. An effort should be made to manufacture Broad-band Modem in the TFs. It is not much difficult. In short, there should not be any shortage of equipment.

The Management should take immediate steps for the procurement, which will go a long way in expansion and a better service to the people.

One of the main points raised in the Memorandum by the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations to the Group of Ministers on Revival of BSNL & MTNL is that the government should take a basic position that BSNL is a fully government-owned Public Sector Unit (PSU) providing service all over India (except in Delhi and Mumbai where another PSU,  MTNL, provides service) including the lakhs of villages and rural areas which are loss-making and where the private companies shy to enter and requires total support from the Government. BSNL is suffering huge losses to provide and maintain service in the nook and corner of the country as part of the universal service obligation of the government.  It is the same with providing services in the border states like J&K, North-East etc. More than 70% of landlines, which cater to a large number of ordinary people, are still with BSNL. It is the incumbent operator with a tradition of more than 160 years of excellent service in telegraph/telephone which helped the nation to develop its communication, infrastructure etc. with sincerity, dedication and determination.  All these aspects the government has to recognise and accept that BSNL is the nation’s requirement and has to be supported in all ways.

Instead of giving priority and most favoured status to BSNL, unfortunately the government is helping and favouring the private telcos. Only a few examples will suffice. Private companies were given mobile licence in 1995-96, while BSNL got licence after six years  in 2002 only, which gave a lot of advantage to the private telcos. When the  3G and BWA spectrum was allotted, BSNL was compelled to shell out Rs. 18,500 crore for pan India service, while the private companies paid  about Rs.5,000 to 7,000 crores only for the same and by cartelising, they are also providing services all over the country. Private companies were allotted spectrum which can be utilised for new advanced technologies, BSNL was allotted spectrum of lesser standard. While the government says of equal field, in fact there is no equal field anywhere. This kind of discrimination against BSNL should be reversed.

The government should issue directions to all the central/state governments, PSUs and govt. assisted organisations to take connections from BSNL only as they have directed in the case of Air India. As far as BSNL is considered, on the insistence of BSNL Employees Union, many agreements like loan have been from PSU banks, group insurance scheme with LIC etc. In the same way other PSUs should take connections from BSNLEU.

These are a few of the immediate action that can be taken by the Government.