Team AIGETOA comprising of AGS 5 & 6 met with GM(Rectt) Smt Samita Luthra to discuss about the delay in notification of SDE LDCE up to latest vacancy year. It was informed that all preparatory work related to conduction of exam was completed. As an when they received the direction from cadre controlling authority to move ahead they are ready to notify and conduct online exam.

It was also informed that online exam will be conducted for separate vacancy year to minimize litigation and give fair chance to each individual executives.

Team AIGETOA including AIP and VP met Sr GM Establishment today and sought the progress on various pending matters.

It is informed that Establishment section shall be sending for processing the committee formation for E1+5 Increment to restructuring cell with directions to process the case of nominating new committee members.

It is also informed that the revised policy for Rule 9 and consolidated instructions on Rule 8 is finalised and will be issued shortly.

With regard to GTI payment there was some technical obstacles with respect to the disbursement. As per final resolution it is decided that LIC will pay the consolidated amount to BSNL and BSNL CO will transfer the amount directly to nominee of the concerned executive. A separate account will be opened by BSNL for the purpose.

All the above cases are under active persuasion by the CHQ team.

AIGETOA CHQ Team met Sr GM establishment with regard to the clearance of payment of GTI cases. This was under constant persuasion by association as there was some technical obstacles with respect to the disbursement of the amount. Now the discussions have been concluded and the obstacle has been cleared .It is decided that LIC will pay the consolidated amount to BSNL and BSNL CO will transfer the amount directly to nominee of the concerned executive. A separate account will be opened by BSNL for the purpose. All the pending payments on account of GTI shall be cleared thereafter.

AIGETOA team comprising of Shri D K Sahoo (AGS CHQ), Shri Ashok Acharya (Jt Secy East) and Shri Dhiren Parida (CS Odisha) met Hon’ble MOC Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji at Bhubaneswar today. The team requested him for Immediate Permission to Launch 4G services and directing BSNL Board to accord approval for launching 4G services through upgradation route, removing various obstacles for the land monetization through cabinet decision, allowing BSNL for 5G testing, release of pending amount from DoT, extending 3rd PRC benefits to BSNL and settlement of pending HR issues at DoT part. We also told that while implementing the concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat, business interests of BSNL should be taken care of. Honble Minister went through the submissions and had a brief discussion on the issues. He advised us to focus on Customer Care.

Hon’ble MoC agreed to meet AIGETOA Team to discuss all the issues related to Revival of BSNL in details at New Delhi.

Click here for copy of memorandum submitted to MoC

Click here for the Glimpses of the Meeting

AIGETOA Team met PGM Pers on 16.08.2021 and discussed the DPC aspect of left out JTOs in telecom wing. With reconciliation of vacancies, he informed that the vacancies have been rechecked and things have been found in order. However AIGETOA insisted that there is definite mismatch in calculation and same needs to be rechecked. Further, as per the request of AIGETOA during meeting with CMD BSNL and PGM Pers earlier, roster preparation for calendar year 2019 has also been initiated, so that further DPC can happen. We requested for updating the roster for calendar year 2020 also. The notification process for LDCE is also under process and the same is expected shortly. We also requested for expediting the DPCs for JTO to SDE in electrical and civil wing. PGM Pers assured for the early completion. In Civil wing certain issues are there with respect to vacancy calculation, which is being looked into.

As far as the promotion in SDE (T) to AGM and AO to CAO is concerned, it was again reiterated that the promotion can not be executed due to pendency of SLP in Hon’ble Supreme Court and necessary remedial action for including all eligible/time bound functional upgradation to next grade is being discussed with Director HR and CMD BSNL. In the meantime the association is also exploring legal solution for the logjam in view of the SLP.

A formal meeting with CMD BSNL took place yesterday (11.08.2021) to discuss upon the restructuring exercise being undertaken by BSNL. The meeting was attended by the Director HR and GM Restructuring and association side was represented by Shri Ravi Shil Verma AIP, Shri Wasi Ahmad GS, Shri Badri Kumar Mehta VP and Shri Rajendra Singh.

The meeting was quite exhaustive and detailed discussion took place on staffing norms, stagnation and career progression of the executives which satisfies the minimum career aspirations of all executives. Association pointed out many lacuanes in calculation of norms and many of them were acknowledged by CMD. However CMD BSNL expressed his firmness towards keeping the structure lean and thin. We stated that structure of organization can’t be transformed over night and persons, who are working in organisation can’t be allowed to stagnate just because a lean and thin structure is to be developed. On stagnation part, CMD BSNL endorsed our view that executives can not be allowed to stagnate beyond a stipulated period. He sought certain more inputs to us, which we will be submitting in 2-3 days. He also directed his team to provide the same input. On making AGM grade operational cadre, CMD BSNL was not in concurrence and said that alternative mechanism like LDCE/Selection Process can be thought of for pushing meritorious executives up in the ladder. We said in AGM grade, LDCE will not serve the purpose and instead all should be given chance to compete for the posts in DGM grade for which MS RR is already having the provision and for that all eligible candidates (JTO/JAO/SDE/AO/AGM/CAO and equivalent grade executives) should be promoted to their next grade before the restructuring exercise. This will give way forward of promotion despite of reservation and seniority issue.

On two points, there was some consensus between management and Association side but disagreement on Quantum.

1. There should not be stagnation in any cadre beyond a justified time. The management side stated that stagnation should not be beyond 10-11 years in JTO/JAO/Equivalent grade and 14-15 years in SDE/AO/Equivalent grade but association side took strong objection to this view point and demanded that the maximum stagnation of 4 years at JTO/JAO/equivalent grade and 8 years at SDE/AO/Equivalent grade can be tolerated. Further association side also ruled out introduction of any intermediate functional grade like Sr SDE/Sr AO grade and demanded no intermediary post should be created for name sake.

2. Meritorious executives at all levels need to be identified and pushed up in the ladder to take higher responsibilities. We demanded DGM Promotions strictly on selection cum merit as stipulated in MS RR instead of gifting it based on seniority which was never the intent of the MS RR.

Association shall be submitting it’s input on next 2-3 days based on which further discussion and decision on Restructuring will take place.

We also discussed the matter of Inter-Se-Seniority for VY 2006-7 onwards and highlighted various legal aspects on which CMD BSNL directed Director HR to get the same examined thoroughly before arriving at any conclusion.

Matter of left out promotions in JTO to SDE cadre was also discussed. It was assured to look into the same.

Thereafter reversal issue was discussed. Management side acknowledged the problem and stated that necessary action needs to be taken to get the issue resolved once for all.

Grand of special Casual Leave to the CEC Members for AIGETOA CEC Meeting to be held on 2nd & 3rd Aug 2021 in Online mode.

Click here for letter

Hon’ble Minister of State for Communication visited BSNLCO, New Delhi on 24.07.2021 to have interaction with BSNL management (Board Members & senior officers). The CMD BSNL given presentation and apprised various dimensions and need of the company to the Hon’ble Minister. It has been learnt that the Hon’ble Minister in the meeting with management has asked for a detailed roadmap for next five years for the sustainability and growth of the organisation. Thereafter, a meeting with the leaders of Recognized Associations and Unions was also arranged with the Hon’ble Minister by the CMD BSNL.

In the meeting with associations and unions, AIGETOA was represented by GS Wasi Ahmad and Vice President Shri Badri Kumar Mehta while AGS Sunil Gautam and CS Delhi Shri Rajeev Meena remain present. The other participants of the meeting were SNEA, BSNLEU and NFTE.

The leaders raised major issues specifically associated with BSNL sustainability and employees hardships. Following points were raised in the meeting to the Hon’ble Minister.

1. Immediate launching of 4G service by way of up-gradation of the BTSs and procurement and steps for moving towards the launching of 5G service.
2. Immediate settlement of dues to BSNL, amounting Rs.39,000 Cr, by the DoT.
3. Immediate steps to off-set BSNL debt, through the monetization of lands.
4. Disbursement of salary on the last date of every month.
5. No monetization of BSNL towers and Optical Fibre as is being planned by the Finance Ministry / Government of India.
6. Improvement in BSNL service through investment in the network, which is in depleted conditions.
7. Better utilization of the capabilities of 22000 Engineering and Account professionals by way of timely promoting them in middle level management for contributing in better way in the growth of department, as these officers were recruited by BSNL directly from the market through all India selection mechanism and have good potential to be utilized at proper level. Inspite of the formation of 20 Yrs, BSNL couldn’t grow its own recruited officers under management succession plan was also raised.

Earlier AIGETOA welcomed the Hon’ble Minister with a flower bouquet and shawl as mark of respect.

Click here for the glimpses

In view of the protest call, a meeting of the association leaders with management arranged on 22th July, 2021 over zoom to discuss the pending issues and resentment lead for the organizational activities by the association. The meeting was arranged on the initiative of Sr GM SR to take stock of the issues and hold a dialogue between the association and management in the larger interest of the organisation. The meeting held under chairmanship of Director HR and it was attended by PGM Pers, Sr Estab, Sr GM SR, GM Restg, DGM SR and other officers of the BSNL Corporate Office. The association side was represented by Shri Ravi Shil Verma, Shri Wasi Ahmad, Shri Yogendra Jharwal, Shri Badri Mehta and Shri Pavan Akhand.

The meeting held in cordial atmosphere and association extended thanks to the management for releasing long pending JTO to SDE Order but apprised that a serious resentment is prevailing in the field due to lukewarm response on many other long pending issues, recent release of inconsistent speaking order and curtailment of promotional posts in the initial proposal of restructuring, which will result in serious stagnation in the career of all executives. The association raised every issue in length and its repercussion and fallout on the executives and the organisation. The meeting lasted for two hours due to discussion on all issues between the two sides.

Finally, Director (HR) assured for his personal efforts to resolve the issues one by one in a timely manner and requested the association to defer the call at least for 2-3 months and continue the ongoing dialogue process for the settlements of all outstanding issues in the larger interest of the department. The association requested Director (HR) to issue a record of discussion of the meeting to instill confidence in the infuriated executives so that association can arrive at a decision as per the assurance. The Director (HR) assures for release of the RoD.

Accordingly, the association has decided to take a call on the ongoing program after release of the record of discussion.

Sr GM SR called on GS AIGETOA and formally invited the association to attend the proposed meeting of Hon’ble Minister of State for Communication, Govt of India. The proposed meeting is scheduled to be held in Corporate Office New Delhi on 24-07-2021. The association will raise the issue of importance for BSNL and it’s executives fraternity infront of the Hon’ble Minister.