At a time when the government has launched an attack on the Central government employees and pensioners, by 'snatching away' their DA increase for one and half years, another interesting development has taken place. Some 50 young IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officers have gave a suggestion to the government, about ways and means for mobilising money, to fight the Corona Virus crisis. In their suggestion, the young officers have given the following 3 suggestions :-

(1) To raise the Income Tax from 30% to 40%, in respect of those with income above Rs.1 crore.

(2) Levy wealth tax on those with over Rs.5 crore annual income. 

(3) Levy “ a COVID Relief Cess" of 4%, on those with taxable income of more than Rs.10 lakh. 

What is wrong in giving such suggestions? The Finance Ministry has directed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman, P.C.Mody, to seek explanation from these officers for writing such ‘ill-conceived views’ in public, without having any authority to do so. The Finance Ministry has observed that it was not part of their duty to prepare such a report. The government cannot even tolerate the idea of increasing the tax of "well-to-do" persons. 

[Source: News18.com, dated 26.04. 2020]

News is being prominently spread by the corporate media (Economic Times dated 06^th July, 2020) that, Tech Mahindra will bid in BSNL’s tender for the supply of 4G equipments. It is also being reported that, Tech Mahindra will partner with the ITI, in supplying 4G equipments to BSNL. There is no doubt that, Tech Mahindra is the 5^th largest Software Company in India. But, it is not having the technology to manufacture 4G equipments. We also know that, ITI has been working only as an agent, for earning commission, in buying Telecom equipments from MNCs and supplying it to BSNL. ITI is also not having any technology in the manufacturing of mobile equipments. 

Under these circumstances, the corporate media is only trying to fool the general public. Such wrong news is being spread, only to justify the government’s action of cancelling  BSNL’s 4G tender. The corporate media should come out and tell the people which Indian Company has developed 4G technology and is capable of fulfilling BSNL’s requirements in rolling out 4G network.

The cancellation of BSNL’s 4G tender is a very big blow for the revival of the Company. It has become very clear now that, the tender has been cancelled as a result of a conspiracy. It is a well planned strategy to deny 4G technology to BSNL. From 2006 to 2012, BSNL was denied procurement of equipments. The same scenario is being recreated by the government now. The Management has miserably failed to upgrade the Company's 4G compatible BTSs and thereby launch BSNL’s 4G service. Further, the Management has become a tool in the hands of the government, which is out to destroy BSNL, just like Air India. The government wants the entire telecom sector to be taken over by Jio. Thus, the future of BSNL and the future of it’s employees is becoming dark. So, the AUAB has decided to expose the game plan of the government to the general public. Hence, the AUAB has decided to observe 1^st October, 2020 as a Black Day. All the circle and district unions of BSNLEU are requested to take immediate steps to implement the call,  in coordination with the other constituents of the AUAB.

Shri Narottam Prasad Shrivastava, aged 86, father of Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, passed away in a Bhopal hospital today. He has been ailing for some time. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, and to his family.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday moved the Delhi high court against the acquittal of ex-telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the 2G spectrum case. Last December, a special CBI court had let off all key accused in the money laundering case filed by the ED, which comes under the gamut of the Rs 30,000 crore 2G spectrum allocation case. Special CBI judge O P Saini had cleared the 19 accused, including Raja and Kanimozhi, of all charges, stating that the prosecution had "miserably failed" to prove its charges. Others who were acquitted in the case are former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) -- Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair.

[Source: The Times of India dated 19.03.2018]

Telangana circle union of BSNLEU, conducted a meeting, to commemorate the 8th death anniversary of Com.Moni Bose, on 19-05-2018, in the Union office at Hyderabad. Com.Ramachandrudu, District President of Hyderabad Telecom District, presided over the meeting. Com.M.N.Reddy, General Secretary, All Pensioners Associations, Telangana State, spoke on Neo Liberal Policies and its impacts. Com.G.Sambasiva Rao, ACS also addressed the meeting.

Frequently news papers are reporting that people in various parts of the country are dying out of starvation. Very recently, media reported that, three small girls died in the National Capital, due to starvation. Such deaths are being reported from many states. Today’s Times of India has reported in the front page, about starvation death, taking place in Gorakhpur district, the home district of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath. The report says that, people belonging to the Musahar caste in Kushi Nagar district, are eating rats and snails, and that many people have died in the recent days out of starvation. Our rulers, belonging to both the Congress and the BJP parties, are keep on claiming that, India is the fastest growing economy in the world. They also say that the economy of the country has grown by leaps and bounds, after the implementation of the Neo-Liberal Economic Policies. It is already 27 years since the Neo-Liberal Policies are implemented. The number of Indian billionaires has increased dramatically. At the same time, a vast majority of the toiling masses continue to rot in poverty. Under the Neo-Liberal Economic Policies, the subsidies that were being given earlier, for food, health, education and agriculture, to the poor people, were steadily cut down. On the other hand, big concessions are being given to the Indian and multinational corporates.

मैसुरु में सम्पन्न 9वीं ऑल इंडिया कांफ्रेंस में लिए गए निर्णय।

(1)  8 और 9 जनवरी 2018 को होने वाली 2 दिवसीय हड़ताल की सफलता हेतु पूर्ण प्रयास किए जाएं। हड़ताल में शामिल होने वाले अन्य संगठनों के साथ मिल कर संयुक्त अभियान की कोशिश की जाए।

(2)  यूनियन द्वारा कॉन्ट्रैक्ट और कैज्युअल वर्कर्स की समस्याओं के निदान हेतु गंभीरता के साथ प्रयास किए जाएं। कॉर्पोरेट ऑफिस द्वारा जारी आदेश अनुसार न्यूनतम वेज लागू करवाना, EPF और ESI स्कीम्स लागू करना, कॉर्पोरेट ऑफिस के निर्देश अनुसार वर्कर्स की छंटनी, BSNL CCWF के प्रमुख कार्यकर्ताओं पर प्रताड़नात्मक कार्यवाही, 7th CPC के अनुसार TSMs और कैज्युअल लेबरर्स के वेजेस का रिवीजन और शेष बचे कैज्युअल लेबरर्स का नियमितीकरण जैसे महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दों को ले कर BSNLEU और BSNL CCWF द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से आंदोलनात्मक कार्यवाही की जाए।

(3)  बीएसएनएल के वित्तीय उन्नयन (financial revival) के मुद्दे पर यूनियन गंभीरता के साथ ध्यान केंद्रित करें। AUAB द्वारा कंपनी की  सेल्स और मार्केटिंग को बढ़ावा देने के लिए " बीएसएनएल एट योर डोर स्टेप्स " गतिविधि संचालित करने का आव्हान किया जा चुका है। कंपनी को शीघ्र ही 4G स्पेक्ट्रम मिलने की संभावना है और उसके बाद बीएसएनएल अपनी 4G सेवा शुरू करेगा। इसके साथ ही यदि सारे कर्मचारी  " बीएसएनएल एट योर डोर स्टेप्स " मूवमेंट में स्वयं को झोंक देते हैं तो निःसंदेह बीएसएनएल के रिवाइवल की दिशा में यह एक बड़ा कदम होगा। BSNLEU को इस हेतु पहल करनी चाहिए।

(4)  ऑल यूनियन्स एंड एसोसिएशन्स ऑफ बीएसएनएल (AUAB), बीएसएनएल के एग्जीक्यूटिव और नॉन एग्जीक्यूटिव के सभी प्रमुख संगठनों के एकीकृत मंच (यूनाइटेड प्लेटफार्म) के रूप में उभरा है। ऑल इंडिया लेवल पर AUAB ने प्रजातांत्रिक तरीके से कार्य करना शुरू कर दिया है। इसी तरह, सर्किल और डिस्ट्रिक्ट लेवल पर भी AUAB की कार्यशैली को सुदृढ़ बनाना चाहिए। 

(5)  द ऑल इंडिया वर्किंग वूमेन्स कोआर्डिनेशन कमिटी (BSNL WWCC), जो कि BSNLEU की एक उप समिति है, अखिल भारतीय स्तर पर कार्य कर रही है। कुछ सर्कल्स में भी, सर्किल लेवल की कमिटी का गठन हो चुका है। अभी तक जिन सर्कल्स में इस तरह की कमिटी का गठन नही हुआ है, उन सर्कल्स में गठन हेतु आवश्यक कदम शीघ्र उठाए जाएं।

(6)  BSNL WWCC की ऑल इंडिया कन्वेनर, BSNLEU की सेंट्रल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग्स में स्थायी आमंत्रित रहेंगी।

(7)  ऑल इंडिया यूनियन द्वारा भोपाल में ऑल इंडिया यंग वर्कर्स कन्वेंशन आयोजित किया जा चुका है। कुछ सर्कल्स में भी यह कन्वेंशन हो चुका है। शेष सर्कल्स में भी यह कन्वेंशन आयोजित किया जाए, यथा संभव 31 मार्च 2019 तक।

(8)  अलग अलग स्तर पर आयोजित अधिवेशनों व सीईसी में लिए गए निर्णयों के क्रियान्वयन की समीक्षा करना बेहद जरूरी है। यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए, यह निर्णय लिया गया कि यूनियन द्वारा संपादित कार्यों की  "मध्यावधि समीक्षा" (मिड टर्म रिव्यु) ऑल इंडिया, सर्किल व डिस्ट्रिक्ट लेवल पर की जाए।

सीमा पर व्याप्त तनाव के मद्दे नज़र " मार्च टू पीएमओ " स्थगित...
3 दिवसीय हड़ताल के क्रम में, AUAB ने अपनी डिमांड्स के निराकरण हेतु दबाव निर्मित करने के लिए 06.03.2019 को " मार्च टू पीएमओ " आयोजित करने का निर्णय लिया था। किंतु, भारत पाकिस्तान की सीमाओं पर तनाव बढ़ता जा रहा है। ऐसी परिस्थिति में AUAB ने " मार्च टू पीएमओ " स्थगित करने का निर्णय लिया है। मार्च की आगामी तारीख कुछ समय पश्चात सूचित की जाएगी।

ईरान पर थोपे गए अमेरिकी प्रतिबंधों की वजह से भारत मे पेट्रोल और डीजल में और मूल्यवृद्धि की संभावना...

अमेरिकी साम्राज्यवाद ईरान को धमका रहा है। US द्वारा ईरान पर प्रतिबंध लगाए जा चुके हैं। उसने आदेशित किया है कि ईरान से कोई भी देश तेल का आयात न करें। यह भर्तस्नीय है कि भारत सरकार ने भी घोषणा की है कि वह भी अमेरिकी साम्राज्य के आदेश का पालन करेगा और आज के बाद ईरान से कच्चा तेल (crude oil) आयात नही करेगा। इस निर्णय के परिणाम स्वरूप भारत मे पेट्रोल और डीजल के मूल्य में और वृद्धि होगी। वैसे ही, नई दिल्ली में पेट्रोल रु 73/- प्रति लीटर  बेचा जा रहा है, जबकि पाकिस्तान में यह रु 46.22 और श्रीलंका में रु 51/- है। भारत सरकार द्वारा पेट्रोल और डीजल पर भारी टैक्स थोपने से यह स्थिति है। यदि अमेरिका के ईरान पर प्रतिबंधों के चलते भारत में डीजल के मूल्यों में और वृद्धि होती है तो निःसंदेह अन्य सभी वस्तुओं (commodities) की कीमतें भी बढ़ेंगी। आम नागरिकों को इसका खामियाजा भुगतना होगा।

The price of onion is sky-rocketing. The working masses are badly hit. Even though, this price rise may not be a permanent one, it is the duty of the government especially the central government, to take steps on war-footing, to mitigate the sufferings of the common people. The opposition parties have conducted demonstration in the Parliament, to attract the attention of the government. However, it is wonderful to know, how the Finance Minister has responded to the concerns on the price of onion.

"I don't eat much of onion and garlic. I come from such a family which doesn't have much to do with onion," she said, responding to a question by NCP MP Supriya Sule.

The anti-BSNL and pro-private policies being continuously adopted by the government, has pushed BSNL into a deep crisis. The unions and associations in BSNL are continuously fighting to save BSNL and also to protect the interests of it’s employees. In this direction, many strikes and other forms of agitations have been organised by the unions and associations. However, BSNL’s financial position has become very critical and employees are not getting salary on time. Contract workers are not paid wages for the past 10 months. Utilising this frustrating situation, certain mischievous elements are continuously trying to tarnish the image of the trade unions and it’s leaders. Trade Unions and it’s leaders have become soft target. Recently, two audio clips have been made viral in the social media, to tarnish the images of BSNLEU and it’s General Secretary, Com.P.Abhimanyu. The anti-BSNLEU forces have circulated these audio clips in a big way, among the employees. The All India Centre of BSNLEU discussed this issue and has decided to file defamation cases against person who prepared these audio clips and four other persons who have widely circulated these audio clips, together with derogatory remarks. Accordingly, steps have been taken to file defamation cases against these five persons in the Tis Hazari Court at Delhi. Notices have been sent to all these five persons. Case will be filed on receiving replies from them.

On 25.04.2020, a website updating has been made on the website of Telecom Officers Association (BSNL), wherein it is stated as follows:- 

“Most of so called Communist Associations are collecting funds for helping contract workers and now all funds collected so far has contributed it to Kerala Government Relief Funds.” 

In BSNL, only BSNLEU is collecting relief fund for the contract workers. The fund collected is being fully utilised for providing emergency relief to the contract workers, in the form of food materials. All the details are being updated on the website in a transparent manner. Under these circumstances, it is extremely surprising to note that, the TOA BSNL has accused that the funds collected for contract workers, is being given to the Kerala government. No person / organisation, having common sense, will make such an accusation. We request the TOA BSNL to have some minimum decency and refrain from making such 'wild allegations' on it's website. We will be compelled to reply in the appropriate manner, if such wild allegations are continued to be made.

BSNL के 4 G टेंडर मुद्दे पर लोगों को बेवकूफ बनाने की कोशिश कर रहा कॉर्पोरेट मीडिया। 

कॉर्पोरेट मीडिया (इकोनॉमिक टाइम्स दिनांक 06 जुलाई, 2020) द्वारा इस समाचार को प्रमुखता से फैलाया जा रहा है कि, टेक महिंद्रा 4 जी उपकरणों की आपूर्ति के लिए BSNL के टेंडर में बोली लगाएगा।  यह भी बताया जा रहा है कि, टेक महिंद्रा BSNLको 4 जी उपकरणों की आपूर्ति करने में, ITI के साथ भागीदारी करेगा।  इसमें कोई शक नहीं है कि, टेक महिंद्रा भारत में 5 वीं सबसे बड़ी सॉफ्टवेयर कंपनी है।  लेकिन, यह भी सच है कि इनके पास 4 G उपकरणों के निर्माण की तकनीक उपलब्ध नहीं है।  हम यह भी जानते हैं कि, ITI केवल एक एजेंट के रूप में काम कर रहा है, कमीशन कमाने के लिए, बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियों (MNC) से दूरसंचार उपकरण खरीदने और BSNL को आपूर्ति करने के लिए। ITI के पास मोबाइल उपकरणों के निर्माण करने की अपनी कोई तकनीक नहीं है।

इन परिस्थितियों में, कॉर्पोरेट मीडिया केवल आम जनता को मूर्ख बनाने की कोशिश कर रहा है।  ऐसी गलत खबर क्यो फैलाई जा रही है तो , सिर्फ केवल BSNL के 4 G टेंडर को रद्द करने की सरकार की कार्रवाई को सही ठहराने के लिए । लेकिन यह निर्णय गलत था आज उसे सही करने में सरकारी तंत्र के साथ मीडिया आ गया है।  सब कॉरपोरेट मीडिया को इन गलत चीजों से बचना चाहिए और भारत के जनता को सही सही जानकारी देना चाहिए कि किस भारतीय कंपनी ने 4 G तकनीक (टेक्नोलॉजी) को विकसित किया है और वह 4 G मोबाइल नेटवर्क को चालू करने में BSNL  की आवश्यकताओं को पूरा करने में सक्षम है।

The AUAB has decided to organise struggles in a phased manner, to compel the government to allow BSNL to start it’s 4G service. In this direction, the AUAB has decided to organise hunger strike with social distancing on 01.10.2020, at the All India, Circle and District levels. BSNLEU calls upon it’s circle and district unions to effectively organise this programme, in coordination with the other constituents of the AUAB.

BSNLEU has kept our comrades informed about the developments taking place in the wage revision issue of Coal India Ltd. We are glad to inform that the wage revision agreement is signed yesterday the 10-10-2017, between the unions and the Coal India Ltd Management. According to the agreement, the workers will be benefited with Minimum Guaranteed Benefit (MGB) of 20% (fitment) with extra 4% Special Allowance and other benefits. 2 lakh 90 thousand workers of Coal India will be benefited by this agreement. Major Central Trade Unions of INTUC, BMS, AITUC, CITU, HMS, etc., have unitedly negotiated and clinched this wage settlement. Earlier, these Central Trade Unions have threatened to on a three day strike from 19^th to 21^st June, 2017. It is only in the backdrop of the preparations for united struggles by all Central Trade Unions, the wage revision of Coal India Ltd. has been settled. BSNLEU heartily congratulates the Coal India Ltd. trade unions, as well as the entire workers.