Change of name of merged Non-Territorial NCNGN & BBNW circles.
Shri Ravi Shil Verma AIP, Shri Wasi Ahmad GS and Shri Badri Kumar Mehta VP met GM(Restg) BSNL Corporate Office New Delhi and discussed the ongoing restructuring works in detail. The detailed discussion happened about the ongoing restructuring of various vertical levels and cadre structure. The association presented the view points on both aspects and it was emphasized that the cadre restructuring should be carried in such a way that the career progression of the executives shouldn’t be hampered. It was appraised that the promotional avenues should be kept intact to bring motivation among executives to give their best for the organization in this tough scenario, where all constraints are being faced by them in field units. It was further explained that the role of executives have been further enhanced due to change working pattern and bringing of SLA based maintenance as well as provisioning by outside agencies. It was requested by the association that the exercise is abnormally delayed and continued lingering on of this exercise is leading to huge level of uncertainty and frustration in the minds of all executives. We further requested for immediately initiating the formal discussion with AIGETOA to streamline and finalise the process. We categorically emphasized that any further delay is not acceptable to this association and restructuring should be completed at the earliest now. GM Restg told that he will apprise the views to higher management also. He further told that discussion in this regard has been on. He told that Establishment section has been asked to give input on the cadre strength. He further told that AIGETOA view points with respect to the BA Restructuring has been taken into consideration while processing the amendments to the structure. He said management is open to all suggestions to keep the career prospects intact. It is further learnt that view points given by AIGETOA with respect to cadre strength and promotional Avenues during varous meetings with CMD/Director HR has been given due weightage and some change is there with respect to initial thought process of keeping the posts to be a bare minimum. Now things are getting improved but still it is not as per satisfaction level of executives. AIGETOA is keeping due track of this exercise and any dent to our future prospects shall be strongly opposed. The restructuring issues shall be further taken up in the meeting with Director HR this week.
Team AIGETOA comprising of GS Shri Wasi Ahmad, AIP Shri R. S. Verma, VP Shri Badri Kumar Mehta, AGS Shri Yogendra Kumar, AGS Shri Sunil Gautam, OS Shri Vivek Kumar Singh and Smt Roopmala Priydarshi met senior functionaries of the DoT at Sanchar Bhawan New Delhi. The meeting held in different span including Smt Anita Praveen Add Sec(T), Shri P. K. Sinha Member(Fin), Shri B. K. Member (Services), Ms Anshuli Arya Administrator (USOF), Shri Sanjeev Gupta DDG (PM), Shri Shahnwaz Alam DDG and other officers of the DoT, Sanchar Bahwan on two days (3rd and 5th Feb, 2021) and a range of subject related to BSNL viability, 4G rollout, clearance of pending amount by USOF to BSNL, Standard Scale E2-E3, 3rd PRC was raised by the association and discussed in detail.
In the meeting, Member (Fin) raised his concern over slow progress in other arms of revival package and emphasize faster rollout of 4G, renting out of vacant space and land monetization to gather more revenue to improve financial health of the company. We raised our concern and requested for requisite support from DoT for sustainability and clear roadmap for revival of BSNL. He assured that the DoT is committed to extend all support within the frameworks but asked us to find the ways to improve the system within BSNL also and raise it to the management. We apprised how young executives, who joined the department after 01.01.2007 is still suffering with the loss of pay, whereas standard pay scale proposal of E2 and E3 is still pending at DoT. The 3rd PRC didn’t implemented in BSNL on the reason of non-profitability clause whereas BSNL is being asked to implement 4G rollout with certain condition. The proposed condition is commercially non-viable option in compare to other TSPs rollout and it is also delaying full-fledged rollout of 4G, which will ultimately result in the loss to the employees in terms of delay in Salary and non-extension of PRC and other monetary benefits. He acknowledged our concerns and explained position of the DoT and the government and suggested various measures.
The meeting with Additional Secretary(T) and Member(Services) also held but the matter were discussed in brief due to their prior engagement. The AST advised us to have a detailed discussion with Joint Secretary (A) and after precipitated talk, the matter may be taken up at her level for final decision. The association will be pursuing with the Joint Sec (A) with detailed agenda points in the coming days especially for E2-E3 and 3rd PRC implementation.
The meeting with Administrator (USOF) held on the matter of the pending amount to be reimbursed by USOF to BSNL. We apprised matter in detail in line with our letter of Jan-2021, which was accepted by her and assured that she will direct the concerned official to settle it earliest. Thereafter the team met with Shri Shahnwaz Alam DDG in this regard and explained the matter of Rural Wi Fi Hotspot and its claim raised by BSNL, which is pending for payment. Smt Roopmala Priyadarshi accompanied in the meeting and explained the subject matter in detail. The DDG gave a patience hearing and assured positively.
The meeting with DDG(PM) also held in detail and discussion carried out on 4G rollout by BSNL. It was apprised to us that 4G rollout has to be implemented through PoC route, whose formal order is expected to be given in March, 2021. In a recently concluded pre-bid meeting after floating of EoI, many potential bidders have participated and some of them have come forward to implement 4G in the PoC Model under the lead of System Integrator (SI). The association highlighted that in the absence of 4G, the BSNL Revival Program is not going to succeed, which is evident from the fact that the organization is still stagnant in terms of the earning even after completion of one year of the VRS, whereas other TSPs have increased their revenue by 15-20% in the same period. The association highlighted that every delay is causing serious effect on health of the organization and ultimately employees are suffering. The employees are not getting salary on time and delay of three weeks are persisting since long time and other remuneration are also at its bottom. The Promotional avenues are completely stuck up and the filed constraints are also very high. The look after arrangements for higher responsibilities are continuing since years together in spite of sufficient number of vacancies and availability of candidates. This has left the executives completely devastated and their resentment are growing with each passing day. The DDG(PM) gave a patience hearing and explained all aspects in detail.
Association also tried to meet Hon’ble Secretary (T) and requested for appointment which couldn’t be granted immediately on account of his busy schedule especially due to ongoing parliament session. The association will try to meet the honorable secretary very soon to apprise him about the hardship being faced by us due to no progressive growth of the organization, delayed salary, pay loss and stagnation in the career and we will request to intervene in the matter.
Finally Tamilnadu Circle realized and accepted that with reversal order kept in abeyance, the earlier reverted SDEs should be treated as regular SDEs. In the name of clarification to BSNL CO, they were trying to undermine their seniority and were trying to treat them as JTOs.
After pursuasion by BSNL CO CHQ Team and AIGETOA Circle Team of Tamil Nadu, finally the issue is settled and they have been extended DE LA. Though we never endorse extension of LA promotions when sufficient vacancies and candidates are available for regular promotions and we always advocate for regular promotion instead. But such type of small small issues which were being kept in lingering mode specially for BSNL Recruits earlier have now started to see their rightful path. This happens only when right team is in place at all levels.
Yes, we do agree that pace for resolution of the issues is slow but we all have to understand that we are working in an environment where nothing has favoured us in all these twenty years and whatever we have achieved till date has been obtained after consistent struggle and fight. The wrongs of twenty years needs to be converted into rights and all this will take time. This become further more difficult when our own family members start pulling the legs of those who are up in the line forgetting that this leg pulling will result ultimately harm those also who are trying to delay the things. We can hope that let good sense prevail all to understand that with respect for each other, we together can move forward.
With respect to promotions, extensive discussion has taken place in last 2-3 days and we can hope for the output soon, both on DPC as well as LDCE. Recently, a petition challenging the preparation of list 9 on Vacancy Year wise has been defeated at Honble Madras CAT through active involvement of AIGETOA Chennai and TN team who impleaded in the case. The list will soon reach to Finality and subsequent lists shall also be published thereafter including the seniority revision of those who were promoted through DPC and later got their seniority upgraded through LDCE. Request transfers in the case of Account and Finance Cadre have also been pressed hard and a meeting is scheduled to be held at the level of Director to settle the genuine and rightful transfer cases. Various pending Rule 9 cases shall also be processed soon with a well defined policy for settling these cases is under process. The clarification for GATE JTOs with respect to admissibility of Rule 8 transfers for them is also under process. With respect to bond related issues, AIGETOA Team is on Job and we shall be ensuring it’s resolution soon.
The promotion in AGM cadre ( Both Telecom and Finance) are also in active pursuasion and we are hoping for a start once the JTO to SDE DPC is completed. Promotion in other cadres like CSS, Civil, Electrical and Architecture are also being pursued.
Friends, we do understand that since last five months of ourselves taking over, output is not that much visible but the ground work which have done is huge and results will be seen in coming days. The inertia of the system and desperation to override the next person is the major cause of sorry state of affairs in the HR front but that doesn’t mean that the things can’t be sorted out or the delay is going to be endless. We are very sure that we will be overcoming all these obstacles with our efforts which will be a mix of perseverance, persuasion and organisational actions.
Yes the major cause of worry remains is the not so positive stand of management with respect to the issues related to Pay and SAB. In the next agenda meeting, we are going to focus on these issues only and a timeline shall be intimated failing which association will adopt the path of organisational actions.
We once again request all to have faith and patience. AIGETOA is fully committed to take all issues to its logical conclusion.
GS AIGETOA has taken up the matter of releasing of the pending CAPEX and OPEX subsidies for 25000 Rural Wi-Fi Hotspot Project being run by BSNL under USOF. BSNL has successfully completed the target of the project as given by the USOF and raised the claim, which is awaited the payment. In the absence of the requisite payment of subsidies, it will be very difficult to run the prestigious project of rural Wi-Fi Hotspot in this financial stress of the organisation, which is very important to address digital divide of urban and rural population.
An unfortunate incident has taken place with one of our colleague at Barrack pore (BKP) Division of CTD Kolkata on 19.01.2021, which has shaken all of us. We strongly condemn the brutal attack on our executive and demand immediate action against the culprits and other suitable measures else the association will be forced to give a call to abstain from field works.
AIGETOA has reached out the CMD and Director (HR) BSNL and requested that if local authorities are not able to control the situation, they should intervene and ensure protection through Central Para military forces as BSNL is a Central PSU. We have apprised that in the absence of suitable confidence building measures and security arrangements, the association shall be constrained to give a call to all the cluster heads to work from home till suitable arrangements are made. It will not be possible to discharge duty in the field units in these life threatening circumstances.
Clarification/amendment issued in BSNL MRS Policy:
In our agenda meeting with Director (HR), we have raised the discriminatory provision of BSNL MRS Policy, which were allowing the medical facility to the dependents of deceased employees only to those, who were earning family pension. This provision was creating hurdle in getting medical facilities to the dependents of deceased BSNL Recruited Employees as they are not governed by Govt Pension Scheme. We extend our thank to the Director(HR) and Sr GM(Admin) Shri A M Gupta Ji for issuing the clarification, which has brought uniformity for all employees in BSNL MRS Scheme applicability in case of demise of the employee.
GS AIGETOA has reached out to the CMD BSNL for releasing of Salary for the month of December-2020 without further delay especially in view of the upcoming festival of Pongal, Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Magh Bihu.
Today, BSNL Corporate Office issued instruction regarding non-posting of the office bearers of Executive Association as BA/Unit Head. GS AIGETOA has taken up this issue in Dec-2020 after getting various complaints from Circle Chapter of Kerala, MP, HP, Rajasthan, UP West and other Circles that the OBs of Executives Associations’ are being given charge of the BA and Unit in contravention to the guidelines issued by the BSNL CO and CVP New Delhi. Accordingly CHQ has pursued the matter with BSNL CO and these guidelines are issued . Circle Secretaries are requested to ensure that these guidelines are implemented in totality.
The case at Jabalpur was heard today and arguments were held. Detailed arguments took place and counsel from BSNL side as well as association side, both pleaded strongly for the vacation of Stay, however Honble tribunal posted the case for final hearing on 13th January 2021, stating that since we are placing it for a very short date and accordingly final hearing shall be held on 13th January 2021.
The opposite side also objected on the presence of AIGETOA and four individual applications as Intervenor and said that association side should not be made party. However, individual intervention applications have been accepted as party to the case and accordingly our senior counsel shall continue to argue in the case. Though the thought process and inclination of the whole arguments appeared tilted towards vacating the stay but since the case was posted for a very short date for Final orders on 13th January 2021, the interim relief remains continued.
However, the applicants who are representing mostly one particular association and are working duly under the supervision of one of their prime CHQ office bearers have submitted their rejoinder yesterday in the late evening which was received by us around 11:45 PM. However we managed to send the counter matter to our counsel well in time by 3:30 AM for arguments. Since the stay has not been vacated from Jabalpur yet and the case has been posted for final arguments on 13th January 2021, we need to wait a little more despite completion of all preparatory exercises and all preparedness for issuance of orders. Association shall be holding its emergency meeting tomorrow as decided earlier to discuss and decide on the next alternative course of action in view of the developments at Jabalpur.
We know and we can understand the anxiety on the part of suffering executives but sometimes destiny tests our patience and during these testing times, we need to be more composed, calm, focused and more perseverant.
Accordingly we request all to have faith and we will surely be overcoming this obstacle also very soon.