Com. Om Prakash Singh, Circle Secretary of Telecom Factory, Kolkata and Org. Secretary (CHQ) BSNLEU, retired from service on superannuation, on 31st December, 2017, after completing 37 years of service. A well arranged felicitation function was organised by Telecom Factory Kolkata Circle, to honour Com. Om Prakash Singh. Com. Sekhar Bhattacharjee,  President of TF Kolkata, presided.  Com. Animesh Mitra, Vice President(CHQ), Com. Saibal Sengupta, AGS, Com. Sekhar Bhattacharjee - President of TF Kolkata Circle and many comrades addressed.  Shri A.K.Kundu, CGM, TF, Kolkata, Shri R.K.Upadhayaya, GM and other senior officers also addressed the function and greeted Com. Om Prakash Singh.

After completing the J&K circle executive committee meeting and seminar at Srinagar, Com. P.Abhimanyu,GS, Com. Basheer Ahmed Khan,CS and Com.G.K.Dandroo, Organising Secretary (CHQ) left for Leh, by road. After crossing high mountains amidst heavy rains, the comrades reached Kargil at 20:00 hrs yesterday. Despite heavy delay, Com.Tashik Tundup, Branch Secretary, BSNLEU, Kargil, was waiting with the active comrades. The General Secretary addressed them, explaining about important issues, including Wage Revision, Subsidiary Tower Company and the need to bring an early turn around of BSNL. The GS also enquired about the condition of the contract workers in Kargil.

Workers and peasants, who came from the nooks and corners of the country, participated in lakhs in the Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally, held at New Delhi yesterday the 05.09.2018. The rally culminated in to a massive meeting in the Parliament Street. Leaders of Trade Unions, Kisan Sabha and Agricultural workers, addressed the meeting. Com. P. Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU, addressed the meeting and exposed the governments pro-private and anti-BSNL policies.

In the talks held between the AUAB and the Additional Secretary, Telecom, it was informed that the Digital Commission (erstwhile Telecom Commission) meeting is being held on 05^th February, 2019. In this meeting, the revival / restructuring of BSNL and MTNL will be discussed. The allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL will be discussed in this meeting. If approved in this meeting, the issue of allotment of 4G spectrum will go for the approval of the Cabinet. It is pertinent to inform that representative of Niti Aayog, Secretary (Finance), will attend this meeting.

The details of accommodations arranged for the comrades who are coming to participate in the March to Sanchar Bhawan, has been informed to the circle secretaries and central office bearers. They may kindly be contacted for these details. The March to Sanchar Bhawan will start sharp at 11:30 from the Eastern Court.

The ALTTC is the premier training centre of BSNL. It consists of many buildings with vast stretches of vacant lands. The DoT has already started the job of capturing BSNL’s lands and buildings. This is already done in many circles. This is violation of the Cabinet decision taken is 2000, which says all the properties would be transferred to BSNL. Now, the DoT has issued letter yesterday, conveying it’s decision to take over the ALTTC. This cannot be permitted. BSNLEU strongly opposes the DoT’s move. Together with the AUAB, BSNLEU will take appropriate action to stop the capturing of the ALTTC, by the DoT.

Com.R.K. Mishra, Circle Secretary, UP(East) circle, has been hospitalised for removal of his gallbladder. He has suffering from this problem for the past couple of months. However, he was carrying out the election campaign works. Since the problem became acute, he was admitted in the hospital yesterday and the surgery has been performed. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, who is in Lucknow today, visited Com.R.K. Mishra in the hospital and enquired about his health. His condition is fine and is expected to be discharged soon. 

The ALTTC has issued an office memorandum on 01.06.2020, regarding the JTO Phase-l training. CHQ is getting a lot of queries, expressing grievances and apprehensions about the contents of the letter. Hence Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, had a detailed telephonic discussion today, with Shri M.K. Seth, CGM, ALTTC, Ghaziabad. The important clarifications given by the CGM, ALTTC, to the queries raised by the General Secretary, are as follows:-

1. At present there are totally 154 candidates, waiting for the JTO Phase-I training. Out of this, 38 officials who have already gone to the ALTTC, for their pre-basic training, are held up there and could not go back to their respective stations, due to the lock-down. They are remaining idle at AITTC, Ghaziabad, for a very long time and are mentally stressed. Hence, with the view to mitigate their suffering, the ALTTC, Administration has decided to start the JTO Phase-l training for them.

2. In the ALTTC letter mentioned above, it is also stated that, the JTO Phase-l training of the remaining candidates (116 candidates) will start w.e.f. 06.07.2020.

3. The CGM pointed out that, it is also mentioned in the ALTTC letter that, the completion certificate of JTO Phase-l training will be issued to all the candidates on the same date. It means the completion certificate of the JTO Phase-I training will be issued to the 38 candidates, whose training starts on 08.06.2020, only when the remaining 116 candidates also complete their JTO Phase-I training. As such, no discrepancy will arise in the seniority list, clarified the CGM. 

4. To a query raised by the General Secretary, the CGM replied that, the JTO Phase-I training of the remaining 116 candidates can be postponed beyond 06-07-2020, if the Corona Virus problem does not subside.

5. To a suggestion given by the General Secretary, for conducting JTO Phase-I training to all the 154 candidates by online, the CGM replied that, conducting the JTO Phase-1 training online, will pave the way for a lot of complaints and court cases.  Hence he ruled out the possibility of conducting online JTO Phase-1 training.

The AUAB of Tripura district submitted the memorandum to Ms. Jharna Das Baidhya, MP, on 08.08.2020. The AUAB delegation sought the intervention of Ms. Jharna Das Bhaidya, MP, for the early launching of BSNL’s 4G service as well as the implementation of it’s revival.

BSNLEU has already written to the Director (HR), demanding to grant relaxation to the candidates of the DR JE, for which results were declared recently, and very few candidates have qualified. BSNLEU has demanded relaxation, as was given in the DR TTA exam conducted in 2008. Com.Animesh Mitra, Vice-President (CHQ) met Ms. Smitha Luthra,GM(Rectt.) yesterday and discussed this issue. He has demanded that action should be taken, to grant relaxation, as was done in the DR TTA exam conducted in 2008. The GM(Rectt.) replied that the demand of the Union would be looked into.

Leh district in J&K circle is one place where all the strikes are being organised with 100% success. Further, BSNLEU is the only union existing in this district. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, addressed a well attended meeting in Leh today, together with Com. Basheer Ahmed Khan, CS, J&K and Com. G.K.Dandroo, Organising Secretary (CHQ). Women employees and DR JEs attended in good number. Com. Sonam Chespal, district president, presided over. Com. Tsering Dorjay , district secretary welcomed everyone. Com. Stanzin Denex Gyanlpo, district vice president, presented the local problems. In his address, the General Secretary spoke in detail about the wage revision, Subsidiary Tower Company and BSNL's revival issues.

CHQ is extremely happy to inform that more than 3,000 BSNL employees and their leaders participated in yesterday’s Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally. The BSNL employees, first gathered at the Eastern Court. From there, the colourful rally of BSNL employees started and went through Janpath and Tolstoy Marg and converged in the main rally.  Thousands of BSNL employees took part in this spirited rally, with the banners and flags of BSNLEU. They also carried play-cards, highlighting the demands of the Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally. BSNL employees from the nearby circles of UP(West), UP(East), Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab participated in large numbers. From other circles also, sizable number of comrades participated. CHQ conveys it’s heartfelt thanks to all the circle unions, as well as to the participants.

In the meeting held on 03.12.2018, between the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications and AUAB, it was assured that pension revision would be de-linked from pay revision. However, the officers sitting in DoT are trying to deviate from the assurance given by the Hon’ble MoS(C). For example, in the letter written by the DoT, to the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, the decision of Hon’ble MoS(C) was diluted. In that letter, the DoT had asked the DoP&PW, whether pension revision can be de-linked from pay revision. In yesterday’s meeting with the Additional Secretary also, the DDG(Estt.), DoT, was arguing that pension revision would be done only after pay revision is done. The representatives of the AUAB strongly protested this dilution and demanded that the assurance given by the Hon’ble MoS(C) should be implemented. On hearing both the arguments, the AS(T) directed that the AUAB and the DDG(Estt.) DoT, should hold further discussion on this issue. Accordingly, further discussion took place yesterday, between the representatives of the AUAB and Shri S.K. Jain, DDG(Estt.), DoT. The AUAB categorically told that the decision of the Hon’ble MoS(C) that pension revision would be de-linked from pay revision should be implemented. After observing the stiff resistance against dilution of the Hon’ble MoS(C)’s decision, the DDG(Estt.) assured that the issue would be further discussed with the AS(T).

INMARSAT, a leading mobile satellite communications service provider, has announced that it's Indian telecom partner, BSNL has acquired an "in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC)" licence from the Department of Telecommunications. With this license, BSNL will soon be providing IFMC services to Indian airlines as well as foreign airlines, flying through Indian airspace.

[ Courtesy: Times of India dt. 04-04-2019]

The Corporate Office has issued letter yesterday, granting trade union facilities to the unions and associations which are participating in the 8^th Membership Verification. The facilities include notice board, telephone, immunity from transfers, special casual leave and grant of meetings. BSNLEU has already submitted it’s application for participating in the 8^th Membership Verification. Hence, BSNLEU is eligible for all the facilities mentioned in the letter. These facilities will be available till 18.09.2019.

An inspiring election campaign meeting of BSNLEU, Gaya district, Bihar circle was held on 30th August,2019. The meeting was presided over by Com.Suresh Kumar. Addressing the meeting, Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, explained about the issues related to financial crisis of BSNL, proposed VRS, reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58 etc. The meeting was also addressed by Com.B.P.Singh, CS, Com.Lakshman Kumar, ACS, Com.Dhirender Kumar, Circle Organising Secretary and com.Ravinder Kumar, District Secretary, Gaya. A good number of employees attended the meeting. 

It has been decided that a meeting of the AUAB would be held at 11:00 am on 06.11.2019. The meeting will be held in BSNL MS office. The meeting will discuss about the implementation of BSNL's revival package, non-payment of salary for the month of October, 2019, non-remittance of deductions made from employees’ salaries from May, 2019 onwards, and other issues.