Ministers decide on BSNL's financial viability

NEW DLEHI: The Group of Ministers (GOM), constituted under the chairmanship of the Minister of Communications Ram Vilas Paswan to facilitate corporatization of the Department of Telecom Services (DTS) and the Department of Telecom Operations (DTO), has decided that the Government will guarantee pensionary benefits to all telecom employees after their transfer to and later their absorption in the corporate entity. The benefits of the pension will be the same as had been in the Government service. In the frame work that will be put in place, provisions have been made regarding transfer of the General Provident Fund, earned leave and half pay leave accounts to the corporate entity without causing any loss to the employees.

The GOM has decided that the framework for adding the pensionary benefits would be introduced as an amendment under Article 309 of the Constitution to the CCS pension rules. Job security of the employees will be ensured even after their absorption in the proposed corporation. The GOM has agreed to provide protection under rules that in the event of dismissal or removal of any employee the administrative ministry would be consulted before taking a final decision.

It has decided that for discharging obligations in regard to rural telephony or any other uneconomic services, in accordance with any Government directive for the implementation of national Telecom Policy-1999 (NTP-99), Bharat Sanchar Nigam would be duly compensated. Realizing that it would be a potent instrument in the hands of the Government for achieving its social objectives with regard to the spread of telecom network in the country, GOM has further decided that under no circumstances Government would allow Bharat Sanchar Nigam to become non-viable.

The Federations had been pressing for the resolution of what they have perceived as anomaly in the pay scales of certain cadres. The GOM has decided to refer the cases to the arbitrator and the employees would also be offered the alternative that such anomalies could be considered after the corporatisation by a Committee of the Board of the new corporate entity.

Besides, the GOM has also accepted in principle to carry out cadre reviews of TES Group 'B' officers and Junior Telecom Officers (JTOs). It has also been decided to restructure the Accounts Cadre at the level of Junior Accounts Officer.

The Government had announced setting up of BSNL from October 1, 2000 by converting the DTS and DTO. In order to facilitate the process of corporatization and to resolve the pending issues of the employees including pay fixation, pension and retirement benefits, the Government had also appointed a GOM chaired by Minister of Communications and comprising of Finance Minister, HRD Minister, Labour Minister, Commerce Minister and Minister of State for Personnel.