BSNL staff not paid salaries for 2 months

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 12

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is heading for closure as it has no money to pay ex gratia to over 78,500 employees who opted for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS). Even its employees have not been paid salaries for the last two months.

The Chairman and Managing Director, BSNL, has convened a high-level meeting of chief general managers (CGMs) of all states tomorrow. The BSNL Employees Union has raised a banner of revolt against the management and the Ministry of Telecommunications for their failure to revive the telecom service provider.

The Centre had announced a package of Rs 15,000 crore to the BSNL when the VRS was announced on November 4, 2019. Over 78,500 employees, including 896 in Himachal, opted for the VRS. But the Centre had not paid them the ex gratia for December and January, rued retirees.

“The BSNL was not allowed to start mobile services along with the private players in 1998. It started the services in 2004. It was not allowed to participate in spectrum auction in 2007 that dented its source of revenue as private companies were given a decisive edge,” revealed top managers.

The BSNL is running 2G services in most of Himachal. It is the only service provider in the remote areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, said BSNL sources.

BSNL general manager, administration, Himachal Pradesh circle, Balvinder Kumar said, “It has no money to pay the salaries of 1,530 employees for the last two months. We do not have funds to pay the ex gratia to 896 employees, who had opted for VRS.”