Team AIGETOA comprising of Shri Ravi Shil Verma Chairman, Shri Wasi Ahmad GS, Shri Vivek Kumar Singh AGs, Shri Sunil Gautam AGS and Shri Yogendra Singh AGS held detailed meeting Director HR Shri Arvind Vadnerkar ji on dated 03-06-2022. The meeting lasted for more than two and half hours with elaborate discussion on HR Issues including following points:

AGM and CAO Promotions:

Team AIGETOA conveyed the Director HR that there is a huge resentment among the Executives as despite clarification from DoPT, there is no development in the AGM and CAO Promotion despite of the Hon’ble Supreme Court Judgment dated 28.01.2022 and DoPT Executive Instruction dated 12.04.2022. We said that there is no confusion as such on reservation in promotion issue and DoPT OM of 1997 combinedly read with the DoPT OM dated 12.04.2022 amply clarifies on how to move ahead with promotions. The need is to have a proactive mindset with clear focus on executing the promotions instead of dilly-dallying on the matter on one pretext or other. We can’t expect any more clarity on the matter and hence the BSNL has to move forward for promotion with this executive instruction only instead of trying to shred the responsibility in the name of non-existing complexities. We further apprised that resentment is running very high and delay is only adding fuel to fire. If management doesn’t move forward on the Promotion in AGM and CAO grades immediately, it will have to face serious unrest in the organisation. Director HR apprised that management is very much keen to in the promotion and taking all steps to realize it by sorting out obstacles.

Thereafter, he called the DGM(Pers) in the meeting itself and sought the progress on all aspects. Point wise status was briefed by the DGM (Pers) and the required formalities to be carried out. The Director HR gave certain directions to him to expedite the process in a time bound manner. We also raised the issue of vacancies to be filled up and prospective methodology to be adopted in calculating the vacancies. On this Director HR replied that these discussions can be done once there is finality on the path to move forward and management is not averse to any of the genuine suggestion from association in this regard.

In the meantime the AIGETOA Team is working in close coordination with all stake holders including our sister association SEWA and their leadership and having day to day discussions on the developments and outcome of these meetings.

Friends, we are giving enough time and room for discussion to the management to issue the much awaited promotions but at the same time reminding about serious repercussion in the event of any further delay. We have categorically told Director HR that the issuance of promotion in the current month is a must else the association will seek organizational recourse.

We will watch the movement of the management till next one week and thereafter take a decision according to the situation on the matter. All are requested to be prepared for any short notice Call to Delhi Chalo in case of any dilly-dallying tactics by the management.

E2-E3 Issue and DoT communication:

We lodged our strong protest on the recent communication of the DoT and its disagreement on account of Cascading, which is in complete contravention of the proposal of BSNL. The statement of DoT that the earlier PO of DoT dated 28.03.2017 for standard Scale has endorsement of DPE does not hold any merit as DPE has not commented anything on the previous scales of BSNL and Intermediary scales used by DoT.

We apprised about our multiple meetings in recent times with the senior officers of DoT including JS (Admin) on the matter and the concerns raised by the association. Team AIGETOA informed Director HR about the discussion of our meeting on 01.06.2022 with Joint Secretary Admin Shri Sushil Kumar Verma, DDG PM Shri Premjit Lal and Deputy Secretary DoT Shri Raiti Madhava Rao on the recent order issued by DoT on approval of standard scale E2-E3. We informed him about our assertion that the order issued by DoT has created a serious ruckus among the Executives fraternity of BSNL and it may disturb the peace of the organization if not rolled back immediately as DPE has never given concurrence on the intermediate scale proposal of DoT. We demanded Deputy Secretary, if any letter had been issued by DPE regarding the intermediate scale, it must be shared to the Association and if it is not issued, DoT must role back its order issued on 29/04/2022.

Director HR was in full agreement with the view point that final proposal of BSNL only asked for replacement of two Scale i.e. E1A by E2 and E2A by E3 and no cascading to other scales. We requested Director HR for immediate intervention and take up the matter with DoT and inform them that the proposal of BSNL is not having any cascading effect and replacing initial two scales will not have any impact on EPP. The Director HR said, he shall be taking corrective action soon in this regard.

MS RR Discussion and its Draft: The Chairman and GS AIGETOA informed Director HR that Pers cell has not initiated discussion on MS RR so far with the Recognised Association despite passage of the month of May’2022, whereas it was supposed to be initiated and draft of MS RR to be shared latest by April’2022. We apprised that it was to be initiated with stagnation criteria in SDE grade for promotion beyond vacancies as well as fast track mode of promotion to achieve the desired goal to give younger officers chance to reach highest echelon in their career as assured by Director HR & CMD on various occasions to the association.

The Director HR agreed with our concern and apprised that it got delayed due to multiple views of various stake holders but now the same is back in focus and is very much in the agenda of the management and assured to look into it.

Notification of SDE/AO RR:

We demanded Director HR to issue notification of new SDE RR as approved by the BSNL Board so that the left out JTOs of 2008 can be promoted immediately and LDCE for SDE and AO can be notified. Further the preparatory for DPC Promotion of subsequent batches of JTOs from SRD onwards and JAOs can be initiated. Once the AGM and CAO promotion is affected, we will be having sufficient vacancies for SDE and AO Promotions.

Director HR informed that the notification is pending due to some technical clearance from the DoT and once the clearance is received, the same will be notified without any delay. The association will further pursue with the DOT for early clearance by proper compliance on points raised.

SDE Reversal Issue Settlement:

We shown our strong displeasure for non settlement of this issue despite the passage of long time and agreeing of the Director HR to resolve it as One Time measure considering the genuineness of the issue. The matter has been discussed on several occasions and only a decision has to be taken in this regard and a direction was also given to Pers Cell on the matter by the Director HR himself. The inordinate delay is raising serious concern among the suffering executives and hence we reminded him about his assurance once again.

Director HR stated that he is well aware about it and his commitment and he will ensure the same as assured earlier. He agreed with the views of the association that it has got delayed enormously but assured to resolve.

SAB Deposit and Enhancement of Quantum:

The matter was raised strongly with the Director HR and recent demises of BSNL Recruited Employees were once again brought to his notice and endless suffering of such families in absence of any proper support. We apprised how the families post demise of their bread winner come on road owing to the meager support of Rs 3500 to Rs 4500 a month by including both SAB Fund and EPS Scheme. It is happening basically due to delayed start of the SAB Pension Fund by BSNL w.e.f. 2016 which should have been extended from day one and that too in totality. The delayed start and giving full 30% SAB has accumulated insufficient fund in the SAB Pension maintained by LIC and any eventuality coming as a serious financial blow to the families.

We demanded that this must be seen by rising above to the financial position of the organization as it relates with the survival of a family in event of any untimed demise of an employee recruited by BSNL. There is still a shortfall of 8.2% in the defined contribution under SAB and it should be used to increase the existing quantum from 5%. We also demanded to start PRMB Fund and deposit in the fund.

We apprised him that the association has also given a call to hold various programs including Pad Yatra from Chandigarh to New Delhi to pay tribute the recent demise of Late Vijay Bansal Ji and highlight the cause due to families of BSNL Recruited Employees are at stake.

Director HR agreed with our concern on the matter and suffering of the families due to less contribution under SAB Pension Fund and agreed to take up the matter with CMD BSNL.

Gross disparity in Transfer & Positing of QA & Inspection Circle:

This was raised to the Director and informed that the policy decided to send the executives out of the QA & Inspection Circle is faulty, biased and illogical. One side the executives are being shifted on the name of sensitive posting in the Circle and executives with a working of 10-12 years is shifted from the circle whereas people with 18-22 years are retained in the Circle. On raising the issue, lame reasons are put forward which is totally unacceptable and we demanded his intervention. Further, claims under association immunity and various medical grounds are also not looked properly. We categorically told that if department wants to keep a rotating place in view of sensitivity, a uniform policy on the basis of working period in the Circle should be framed and association will support any such transparent policy.

Director HR assured to look into it and take necessary decision. The cases were apprised to him in detail also.

SDE Seniority List modification:

We lodged our strong protest on the inconsistent behavior of the department on the SDE seniority List, which pertains to the directly recruited Employees. Once again the current SDE Seniority list number 12 and previous list 9 has been revised. The inconsistency in the decision reflects that section dealing the matter is not clear about framing of the seniority list. This has got various revisions with every passing day. This started with July 2020 when the first provisional list was prepared on the basis of year of vacancy by giving Quota within the VY and DoJ in the VY to decide seniority in LDCE and DPC Mode of SDEs promoted against 2006-07. Thereafter the list has gone several ups and down and again a new revision raises serious question on the finality of the list. Such type of inconsistent behavior is not expected from HR Section and we demanded to fix up the responsibility, if there is any lapse in process either earlier or today. We simply cannot remain mute to everyday changing stand of HR section on such important matters which define the future career progression of executives.

The meeting ended with the final arguments from the association side that the management should come forward with concrete results else the peace and tranquility of the organization will be comprised, and association shall be forced to resort to strong organizational action programs to settle the long pending HR issues of Pay, Promotion and Pension.