BSNL FORUM OF UNIONS & ASSOCIATIONS
VISAKHAPATNAM,VIZIANAGARM &
SRIKAKULAM
MEMORANDUM
Date: 03-11-2012.
To
Dr. KILLI KRUPARANI garu,
Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology,
New Delhi.
Respected Madam,
On behalf of the BSNL Forum of Unions & Associations
Visakhapatnam, Vizianagarm & Srikakulam we are extending our warm greeting
on assuming the charge as Minister of State for Communication & IT. It is a
proud privilege for us that a person from the family of telecom had assumed the
charge of the same ministry. A memorandum is submitting in view of the
present situation of BSNL. In this context we request your kind attention on
some of the issues mentioned below:
1. THE LANDLINES:
It is but a painful reminder that we ourselves admit
that the poor quality of service offered to our customers normally drives away
our customers and results in land line churn. While admitting that many of the
problems are beyond the control of the middle level management resolute
efforts from our side can result in qualitative improvement. Therefore there
should be painstaking efforts, not projecting too much the infirmities of the
system, to organize ourselves and our workforce to offer the best quality service
to our esteemed customers. This should be the prime and first step in restoring
the confidence and trust of the customer in the Company, its executives and the
workforce.
Quality telephone sets or the lack of them is one big
unnerving issue before the customer. The L1 set is no more appealing to him.
Huge fortunes are now being spent on purchase of low-quality instruments, the
sight of which the customer hates. Several valuable suggestions on the subject
have still not found the pleasure of the Management for some strange reason.
The transformation of the unhappy customer to an irate disconnector is achieved
when he is repeatedly supplied with shabby and oft-repaired instruments.
Today the mines of copper that the Company has are being
neglected because we do not have any procedure in place for their upkeep and
maintenance. Mere theories that the TMs have to maintain them do not yield
practical results. This precious asset has to be protected by instructing and
authorizing SSA heads to work out for tenable tender systems for maintenance
of the external plant. Any further lapse in this direction will be more costly than
we even anticipate.
1
It is but a pity that the Company is being treated as the
milky cow by all the Governmental agencies and the local self-governments.
They treat the BSNL as shabbily as possible and milk them by claiming huge
amounts running into crores of rupees as reinstatement charges, service charges
etc. They also do not have any hesitation in damaging our property during roadwidening/construction etc. activities. We believe that more co-ordination with
the Local bodies will relieve the problem to a great extent.
The landline sector which contributes more than 70%
appears to be unwittingly neglected by the Management by deciding that best
talents are not required to man them. We have highlighted this aspect especially
in the context of large landline churn due to customer dissatisfaction. We believe
that this sector requires much better attention from the customer point of view.
We hope necessary redeployment will take place immediately.
What we have pointed out above is not exhaustive but
only the tip of the ice-berg. Our only fervent appeal is that our members and the
Management will have to combine together to work as a team to redeem the
situation in the most earnest manner.
2. LEASED LINES:
This can be termed as an unexplored fund mine
because of the lack of focus or casual negligence of this sector. Leased Data
service is a promising & lucrative business segment. These point to point data
lines require one time investment with negligible maintenance. With huge
quantity of underground cable and large nos. of MLLN data switches & NIB
virtual nodes (for providing MPLS-VPN circuit) throughout the country. Big
enterprises like banking, financial institutions, industrial houses etc. are potential
customers for the same. Demand for data circuits is huge and ever growing. But
it is an irony that in spite of having so much resource, being the monopolistic
infrastructure provider, we could not exploit this segment properly. A major
problem area is our commercial activity. There is a huge gap between
commercial processes and actual field processes. Lack of proper synchronization
between different sections create unnecessary delay in providing data circuits.
Due to poor coordination among different units a huge quantity of our revenue is
pending or billing not done.
Due to lack of commitment by the management the
maintenance spares / procurement of the MLLN equipment, at present the
organization is losing the existing customer base because of the non-availability
of MLLN spare equipment. A single- window monitoring and complaint
mechanism should be established in each SSA to ensure that the customer gets
proper and prompt attention.
3. WLL:
The product was perhaps launched to cover for the
non-feasible areas where the landline could not reach the customer. With so
many technologies on trial, finally we have settled for 2001X which suits our
system quite suitably and has more or less stabilized with better acceptability.
But then again the handset problems and SMPS problems haunting the field we,
2
as usual could not capitalize on the advantage. While the competitors are very
keen to provide very attractive and pleasing handsets we choose the opposite
route making the customer more reluctant to accept our services. We also have
‘n’ number of vendors all with non-compatible sets and SMPSs. Customers
totally dislike the very sight of the heavy SMPS and want only attractive IFWTs
with internal batteries. This is a very serious issue which has been repeatedly
focused by us. These are issues that require immediate attention. Stick to one or
two good vendors. Make our product attractive. Then we have takers. Else just
blink and regret. We just can’t understand why the same mistake is being
committed with every product, every time by the BSNL management.
4. MOBILE NETWORK (2G&3G):
Even though BSNL started providing mobile network,
in the year 2005, it stood in the second place after Airtel. After the then
Governments policies and the lethargic BSNL management, procurement was
delayed nearly for a period of 3 years. Even though after procurement
management fails to take up the project in true spirit, the Phase –IV & V
expansion works were badly delayed and substandard installation works. This
will now resulting the poor network coverage and lot of maintenance problems,
especially in the urban areas.
5. Wi-Max:
Once again the BSNL management fail in procuring and
implementing the installation and commissioning of the Wi-Max equipment for
rural as well as urban locations.
6. USO FUND:
Although a huge sum stacked in the USO Fund, without channels
for spending, we are compelled to meet the social obligations without any
compensation. The loss we incur on account of social obligations especially in the
rural sector should be compensated from the fund. More than that in spite of
being the only operator which meets the rural obligation, with none other
catering to the rural poor man’s needs, we are also charged with 5% of the AGR
just like others for the USO Fund. We should definitely be exempted from the
levy for meeting all social obligations and Government requirements.
7. Refund of BWA spectrum charges to BSNL:
BSNL was deliberately allocated a non-standard and obsolete BWA
spectrum band after it paid market price of Rs 8313 crores on the basis of
auction. The greatest infirmity of this band is that future long Term Evolution
services cannot be launched from the band BSNL has been allocated. Besides,
international telecom equipment manufacturers, because of the obsolescence of
the band, are not naturally manufacturing equipment in this redundant band.
Private operators, having paid same market price as BSNL for BWA
spectrum, in sharp contrast, have been allocated upcoming competitive
3
band, having huge economy of scale in terms of cost of the equipment
as well as flexibility to offer services on either Wimax or LTE.
Such a huge investment that BSNL has made at a time when it is in
grave financial crisis is frozen since the band has absolutely no utility.
BSNL/Board has of late decided to surrender the said obsolete band and asked
the government to refund the amount of Rs 8313 crores.
We thus request you to impress upon MOF to initiate expeditious
appropriate action to refund frozen investment that BSNL was forced to make
at the time of BWA spectrum auction so that BSNL which is completely
starved today because of meeting social obligations of telecom without
getting compensated through envisaged policy commitments could
effectively utilize this amount in expanding its operations in other
potential business segments
8. Settle ITS Absorption:
BSNL was formed on 1st October 2000 carving out of Department of
Telecom, Department of Telecom Services etc. Except few exceptions, most of
the officers and employees gave option and got absorbed in BSNL. But Group ‘A’
officers belonging to Indian Telecom Services (ITS) numbering about 1500 did
not give option and continued to be on deputation to BSNL. It is almost ten
years after formation of BSNL, but the absorption issue still remains unsettled.
These ITS officers like DGM, GM, CGM etc. are the top executives who are
expected to plan strategies for expansion and development of BSNL and ensure
its implementation. But their being on long deputation and not being absorbed in
BSNL has seriously and adversely
affected the growth of the company.
While DoT and BSNL management has assured several times that the
absorption issue will be finalized early, nothing has materialized. But nothing
happened and the situation has worsened. Our demand is that the ITS
absorption issue should be settled immediately, without any further delay, so
that the expansion & development programmes are implemented effectively.
8. Outsourcing:
Despite having a good number of technical, operational and field workers,
the BSNL management is outsourcing many works / jobs which could be
effectively done by its workers. Now, the Pitroda Committee has recommended
drastic outsourcing, with a view to further justify its proposal for reduction of
workforce. The urgent need is to train & retrain the existing staff to effectively
deal with the new situations and requirements.
It is on a pleasing note that, the energy that we have
been able to impart to this organization just by taking this bold step of attaching
the greatest priority to the Company that feeds us and to which we all so dearly
belong. The vision is set. The mission is also defined, but has not so far been on
track. Let this fresh energy that our movement imparts redraw the course and
4
take it on the right track. We will move ahead without thinking about losses as
setbacks but as opportunities- vacant lots on which to build new dreams. It is
when we hit the bottom, that’s when we can start on our way up – with a brave
heart.
With warm and fraternal greetings,
5