National conference of BSNL employees on Sept 25-28

Ludhiana, September 11, 2012: Sixth All India Conference of BSNL Employees will be held from September 25-28 at Riviera Resorts, Ludhiana.

About 4,000 delegates and observers from all corners of the country will participate in the conference.

BSNL EU has its branches in remotest corners such as Andaman and Nicobar, Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim, Lakshdweep, Daman and Diu, Ladakh.

At a Press conference here today, BSNL Employees Union leader  R.L. Moudgill and general secretary Balbir Singh  told the media person that the conference would begin with hoisting ofnational flag by VAN Namboodiri, President, BSNL EU and Union Flag by P. Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU, Prof. H. S. Sidhu, Chairman Reception Committee will welcome the delegates, observers and guests.

The conference will be inaugurated by A K. Padmanabhan, President, CITUon September 25.

K. K. N. Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers and M. Krishnan, Secretary General, National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) will address.

An Open Session will be held in the afternoon in which Tapan Sen, Member Parliament and General Secretary, CITU, will be the Chief Guest. General Secretaries of all the Unions/Associations of Executive and  Non- Executive employees in BSNL will address the open session.

A Seminar on BSNL’s Financial Viability and National Telecom Policy – 2012’ will be held on September 26 in the afternoon. Top Management of BSNL including CMD, BSNL, Director (HR), Director   (Finance) will participate in the seminar. 

Dr. Prabir Purkayastha, Delhi Science Forum will deliver an expert lecture on National Telecom Policy – 2012.

A Women’s Convention will be held in the morning session on September 27.  

Sudha Sundararaman, General Secretary, All India Democratic Womens Association  (AIDWA) will be the Chief Guest.

The major issues before the conference are financial viability of BSNL and deteriorating equipment supply.

They said BSNL management has centralised the purchase of equipment which has resulted in deterioration of services. BSNL has the best Broadband technology in the country. “We are not getting Wi- Fi modems for Broadband services for the last more than 2 years which are in great demand”, they said, adding cable supply is irregular.

No new cables are being laid resulting in non-feasible areas in new developed colonies / housing complexes. Telephone sets are not available even for new connections which results in non providing of services.

Further, old telephone sets are not being replaced for a long time. Due to anti Public Sector policies of the UPA-led  government at the Centre, BSNL has been worst affected, they said.

BSNL is going in loss for the last 4 years, they said, adding the loss for this year is expected around 9,000 crore. The government is helping private operators at the cost government company for obvious reasons. The Rs 1.76 lac 2 G spectrum scam is well known to everyone.

About the National Telecom Policy 2012, they said it is nothing but an effort to plug the loop holes and regularise the undue benefits being extended to private operators. BSNL is forced to run services in loss making areas without any compensation on the pretext of being a government company whereas the private operators are working in profit making areas only.

They said the conference will threadbare discuss all the issues and take appropriate decisions which will not only benefit the employees but also the general public.