GS writes to CMD BSNL regarding consistently changing stand of the management on various issues and new found tendency to unsettle already settled issues citing DoPT Rules/RRs Provision in a selected manner – Our Strong Objection to frequent change in the SDE Seniority List 12 comprising of LDCE qualified executives

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The insensitive and consistently changing approach of the management on critical issues pertaining to the executives, where they are changing their own decisions taken years before. Few glaring examples are as stated below:

• The provisional List 9 was published in July/August 2020 for the vacancy Year 2006-7 wherein the Competitive and Seniority Cum Fitness Quota people of same vacancy year were placed in the list as per their respective date of joining in the cadre. Even in this published list provision of Rota was blatantly ignored despite provisions for the same being there in DoP&T guidelines and BSNL being bound to follow DoP&T guidelines in case the provisions in RR doesn’t exist meaning DoP&T guidelines will act as Rule in such cases where RR Doesn’t provide any explicit provisions in the matter. Despite such rules in force, management blatantly ignored the Rota Rule and went ahead with provisioning of Quota in the circulated provisional seniority list.

• Thereafter, one fine day, a thought comes in the mind of the management that earlier decision taken by the same section was not at all correct and was not in line with Hon’ble Supreme Court Judgment, and they start the process of changing their own decision; one year after the earlier decision, which was taken with due approval of the Director HR/CMD BSNL. All these while they just keep their unidirectional approach with completely misinterpreted version of RR as well as Hon’ble Supreme Court Judgment. Even submission of Legal Opinion on the Judgment as well as proper interpretation of RR from a Retired Justice of Hon’ble Supreme Court was not enough to deter on their motive of putting competitive quota persons at bay. Such was their inconsistency on the matter that they even went against their own affidavit submitted in Hon’ble PCAT where they have ensured that delay in conduction of exam will not impact the seniority of the competitive quota people and the same shall be protected.

• Thereafter, they change their earlier decision and circulate a provisional list wherein they kept even the failed candidates of LDCE 2012 above the LDCE 2012 passed candidates. Ignoring all objections and submissions from the association as well as individuals, management finalizes the list stating that DoP&T guidelines are not at all applicable in case of SDE RRs. In the finalized list, neither vacancy year-based quota nor the ROTA was extended to the competitive quota people. Those who were not even eligible to be promoted against vacancies of 2006-7 and 2007-8 LDCEs were placed above the eligible candidates of 2006-7 and 2007-8 vacancy years. Needless to mention is the fact that competitive quota people were again at the receiving end.

• Now, once again management suddenly realizes that whatever they did in February 2022 was not correct and there is again a need to correct the principle. They decided to do away with backlog vacancies citing DoP&T guidelines of 1986, which they themselves have been ignoring in the SDE Seniority lists 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13. The candidates against these backlog vacancies were selected almost 10 years back and their promotion orders were released in July 2013. After a gap of 9 years, management decides what they did in 2013 was not correct and now there is need to change the principle followed and they do it without any second thought and that also on a very sensitive issue of Back Log Vacancies of Reserved Quota Candidates. Here, all hesitations of the people dealing the matter go for a toss just because this action will create more complexity in already complexified matters by BSNL on the issue of seniority. Intent is very much visible to keep the meritorious competitive quota people engaged in legal entangles and the reason is cited as the provisions of DoP&T guidelines, whose applicability in SDE Seniority, they themselves have denied.

• Same DOP&T guidelines stipulates provisions of one year relaxation in eligibility criteria in case a Junior is promoted before a Senior, both in SCF as well as Competitive Quota, but it fells to attract the attention of HR group and they don’t hesitate in placing people up in the rank below the people lower down in the rank stating that this relaxation is not applicable for LDCE quota despite provisions in SDE RRs as well as DoP&T guidelines. Not only that, but they also don’t hesitate in reverting SDEs already promoted SDEs, 12 years after they promote them citing a prospective clarification while when the matter was clarified from the section at the time of deciding the eligibility, at that time department made those executives eligible to appear in the exam. It will be pertinent to mention that persons at the receiving end are again the competitive quota people with highest merits.

As per provisions in the constitution of AIGETOA and subsequent discussion/decisions, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) Meet cum CWC of AIGETOA Central Governing Body is hereby notified to be hold as per the given schedule.

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The schedule is as follows:

Date & Time : 22nd June’2022 (Wed) from 10:00 to 20:00 hrs

Venue : New Delhi (Detail venue will be informed subsequently)

Dear All,

Even though it’s little early to comment on the exact result, being the responsible association its our duty to update the correct picture on the same.

There are lot of speculation going around the corner wrt SDE to AGM Promotions. As we expected the negative forces are trying to scuttle the unity of executives and make divisive politics and the last mile credit mongering. As we have already cleared that AIGETOA is not for any politics but believe in the resolution of issues for the betterment of Executives.

We have been stating in all meetings/interactions about our approach on how to cover all eligible. We have also clearly submitted the same and we hope that our respected CMD/Dir HR/PGM Pers will take the cognizance, merit and need of the same. We are committed to push for considering all the 4500 strengths of AGM under DPC quota followed by counting LA/Adhoc DGMs as occupying the posts of regular DGMs and use the consequential vacancies of around 1000 also for DPC in AGM Grade. This will help not only in creation of more vacancies for AGMs but also will facilitate regular promotion for AGM to DGM and thus the inclusive approach for all can be achieved. Further there is scope for Stagnation Criteria and more number of posts in view of the proposed merger of BBNL.

AIGETOA is fully committed to ensure the justice to all and committed to ensure maximum possible promotions as detailed in our earlier submission on the matter. AIGETOA has always categorically demanded for increase of vacancies so as to accommodate all the eligible executives and hope we can achieve the goal with unified efforts.

Similarly, we are committed and pursuing for the promotion of AO to CAO grade also. Further our endeavour is to ensure the promotion in DGM Regular grade.

Here, we wish to inform all that till date we have been able to develop a broad consensus on the major show stopper and one more meeting is required to settle the same. It is once again reiterated that discussion on Vacancies has not achieved any finality and AIGETOA is pushing for achieving the maximum promotions for all in line with its earlier submissions.

In this continuity, we want to extend our heartiest thanks to the GS SEWA and their leaderships for extending cooperation in reaching to a broader consensus. We do hope that with their continued support and unified approach of all stake holders, we will be able to clinch the promotions in AGM, CAO and DGM grades also as we did in SDE Promotion.

We request all colleagues to be calm against the spread of rumours and trust the approach of association.

BSNL CO issued letter to field units for providing the data related to transfer immunity to the elected office bearers of association.

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Today AIGETOA Gujarat team consisting of Sh Chandrakant Tamboliya Circle Secretary, Sh Mayur Parmar Circle President, FS Sh Anurag Parmar, ACS Sh Jayesh Solanki, ACS Sh Nirav Barot along with AGS CHQ Sh Ajay Parmar had meeting with CMD BSNL on his visit to Ahmedabad for PSU Exhibition at Gandhinagar. AIGETOA team welcomed CMD BSNL and presented memento of Statue of Unity.

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CMD BSNL updated the development in Government package and his plan for bringing BSNL on growth path and a profit making company by 2025-26. He also shared Government view and expectations from BSNL. He updated meeting with present status of 4G roll out and rural FTTH expansion on BBNL OLTs with revenue share model of 85% BSNL-15% BBNL. CMD has urged all BSNL employees & higher managerial officers to work hard and prove ourselves.

From AIGETOA side, Team Gujarat raised serious concerns for long pending HR issues and expect to be resolved within his tenure period. Team Gujarat raised E2-E3 Standard pay scale issue and updated about our CHQ team visit to DoT officers. We asked CMD to write a letter to DOT for approving E2-E3 without cascading effect. CMD had noted positively and assured.

Team raised grant of E1+5 increments for immediate relief to most effected Junior batches. CMD had declared that in very short future new MSRR, SDE RR will be finalized and he had planned to give chance to meritorious candidate to get early promotion through internal competitive exams.

We demanded to deposit pending SAB fund upto current month; also, to approve pending SAB contribution. CMD has assured us that even though SAB contribution can be increased as revenue increases but he will consider to increase quantum

We inquired about SDE to AGM promotion status, on which CMD said he has already discussed with all three association GS and once a common consent is made, he will be able to execute promotion within next 10 days. We also demanded planning for considering last eligible candidate, CMD assured to give maximum possible promotion. He also said he was one who readily agreed for addition of 1500 post against original proposal. For AO to CAO promotion CMD assured for positive steps.

Meeting extended for more than 1 hour against allotted time for few minutes.

Team Gujarat extend sincere thank to CMD for sparing his time for more than one hour in his brief and busy schedule.

Chairman Shri Ravi Shil Verma, JS AIGETOA Shri Amit Roy and AGS Shri Vivek Kumar Singh met PGM SR and conveyed in non ambiguous terms that now with a broad consensus reached between all stake holders, management should not delay the promotions anymore. We said any delay and deviation from the earlier agreed assurances is not at all acceptable now. Association will have to resort to hard organization actions if management doesn’t realizes the seriousness of the prevailing resentment amongst the Executives.

The three Associations had earlier decided to meet CMD BSNL, however due to non availability of GS SNEA at Delhi for today and tomorrow, we have scheduled the meeting with CMD BSNL on Monday.

We can’t wait endlessly and we will take a final call on the issue of Promotions after meeting CMD on Monday. This will be our last attempt to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and thereafter we will change the approach to end this unnecessarily delay tactics.

Today, AIGETOA Gujarat Circle team including CS C M Tamboliya, CP Mayur Parmar, CFS Anurag Parmar, ACS Jayesh Solanki and AGS CHQ Ajay Parmar met Director HR Shri Arvind Vadnerkar Ji on the sideline of his visit to Ahmedabad. AIGETOA Gujarat team welcomed him and submitted a memorandum containing various HR and operational issues.

Director appreciated the team AIGETOA Gujarat for mentioning operational issues as well in addition to HR issues in the memorandum. Director HR patiently discussed every issue at length giving his valuable guidance on each issue and also noted down certain important suggestions given by the AIGETOA Gujarat team. Director HR gave brief update about proposed revival package 2.0 for BSNL from Govt of India which can put BSNL again on growth path. Discussion about 4G rollout and necessary requirement of infrastructure upgradation was also held.

Thereafter, Team AIGETOA Gujarat discussed for resolution all the HR issues including E2-E3, E1+5, SAB, JTO to SDE promotion, Payloss, SDE to AGM and AO to CAO promotions. Director HR told that his team is working sincerely and actively to resolve all these issues in a time bound manner. Team Gujarat requested to post regular PGMs/GMs for Junagadh and Bhuj BA which have been vacant since long and for immediate disbursement of pending temporary advance especially for CNTX West.

Team Gujarat also raised the issue of disruption of services due to frequent failure of connectivity towards Mumbai IGW. On this, team had at length discussion and it was requested to provide alternate route as an immediate relief and new IGW at Ahmedabad or nearby location in west zone as a permanent relief which Director HR noted positively. The business model of FTTH was also discussed in detail by AGS CHQ Sh Ajay Parmar and suggested for MSO business model for sustainable growth. Director HR was very much receptive on this and asked to submit the detail proposal.

Finally, Team AIGETOA Gujarat extended sincere gratitude for giving his valuable time and also conveyed wish that all pending HR issues get resolved during his tenure.

Team AIGETOA comprising of Chairman Shri RaviShil Verma, Shri Vivek Kumar Singh AGS-2, Shri Sunil Gautam AGS -5 and Joint Secretary Shri Amit Roy held meeting with Sr GM Estt as follow up meeting on the Pay Scale issue.

AIGETOA has taken up again the matter of standard scale with PGM Estt and apprised about the discussions held with Dir HR on dated 03-06-2022 wherein Team AIGETOA has apprised Dir HR that we had a discussion on standard scale with Joint Secretary Admin at DoT, with DDG PM and Deputy Secretary. In the discussions, we appraised the DoT, that BSNL official are very disappointed on the letter issued by DoT on the matter and categorically pointed out that DoT had issued wrong letter as it is not in line with the DPE guidelines and BSNL proposal. With our strong arguments, the soft change in stand of DoT was quite visible. The same development has been shared with Dir HR and we requested his office for sending the BSNL stand on the letter of DoT dated 29-04-2022. we demanded that BSNL must reiterate its earlier stand which was conveyed by CMD BSNL vide their letter dated 01-05-2017.

Today was the follow up meeting with PGM Estt regarding the Dir HR meeting. We requested PGM Estt to take up the issue once again with DoT as per our discussion held with Director HR. PGM Estt assured that he will discuss with Director HR for the same.

We shall be following up the matter again with PGM Estt after discussion with Dir HR. Thereafter, discussion was also held on pending rule 8 cases specially with regard to HP and J&K Circles. Sr GM Estt assured to intervene with circles to ensure the clearance of pending Rule 8 cases.

Meeting of all the three associations i.e. AIGETOA, SNEA and SEWA was held with Director HR in presence of PGM Pers, PGM SR and CLO on the issue of Promotions in all wings and grades/cadres. The Association side was represented by Shri Ravi Shil Verma and Shri Amit Roy from AIGETOA, Shri M S Adasul and Shri Vimal Raghunath from SNEA and Shri N D Ram and Shri R A Meena from SEWA.

Director HR shared the view of management on the proposed methodology and stated that they are committed on Promotions of all wings and all cadres. Discussion was held in a positive direction to go ahead with the promotions. Management agreed for extending the percentage of representation in accordance with the roster prepared as per DoP&T guidelines.

Next round of meeting will be held very shortly. We are hopeful of positive outcome very soon.

A meeting of associations and CLO has been called today by the Director HR in his chamber in furtherance of the Promotions Issue in the AGM and CAO Equivalent Grades. AIGETOA is participant of the meeting.

Earlier in the day, GS AIGETOA has taken up the matter with CMD BSNL for his kind intervention, considering inordinate delay in issuing of the order.