BSNL union asks DoT to clear dues running to ₹30,000 cr.

The BSNL employees’ union has urged the newly-appointed Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to ensure that the Department of Telecom clears its due of ₹30,000 crore to the telco in order to provide some aid to the stressed public sector unit (PSU).

“The DoT on its part has been casting a Nelson’s eye towards BSNL,” the Bharatiya Telecom Employees Union (BSNL), an affiliate of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, said in a letter. “The DoT owes the BSNL around ₹30,000 crore…we shall be highly obliged… if you could see that this amount is refunded to the BSNL at the earliest to enable the company to perform with more vigour and also take care of its employees’ needs,” it added.

As per the letter dated July 10, the dues include about ₹13,789 crore in viability gap funding for rural telephony, a total of about ₹8,300 for surrendered Wimax and CDMA spectrum, and ₹1,051 crore for the government’s BharatNet project. The union also said that poor marketing methods not in line with contemporary techniques plague BSNL, resulting in loss of revenue and market share.

To help revive two loss-making telecom PSUs — BSNL and MTNL — the Cabinet had in 2019 given an approval for their merger, with a revival package worth almost ₹70,000 crore. As part of the package, the two PSUs were to be merged and also allotted 4G spectrum, which is yet to be done. The Hindu