26.02.2010: Budget Proposals on Income Tax: Finance Minister gives relief to salaried class by proposing 10% Income Tax for taxable income above Rs.1,60,000 to 5 lakhs; 20% above Rs.5 lakhs and upto Rs.8 lakhs and 30% above Rs.8 lakhs.  Limit on savings has been increased from Rs. One lakh to Rs.1,20,000. View ready reckoner...

26.02.2010: Posting of Direct Recruit JTOs to new customer facing roles: BSNL orders posting of 15% to 20% of  new Direct Recruit JTOs to 'new customer facing roles' under Project Shikhar. View orders...

25.02.2010: 3G spectrum auctions to begin from April 9: The government has finally set the ball rolling on the auction of 3G spectrum. The Department of Telecom (DoT) announced April 9,2010, as the day when the auction of the long-pending 3G airwaves would start. The telecom department will issue the notice inviting application (NIA) for bids from prospective bidders from Thursday. As per the schedule released by DoT on Wednesday, the pre-qualification of bidders would take place on March 30, mock auctions would be held on April 5 and 6. The Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) or Wimax spectrum auction would start two days after the close of 3G auctions. - PTI

24.02.2010: Scrap GSM tender, Go for service model: Pitroda panel to BSNL?: 'BSNL sources said the committee has recommended that the company should expand its network through the “outsourcing infrastructure” model. Under this, the installation and maintenance of the networks is outsourced to suppliers such as Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Network and the payment is done on the basis of actual usage of a network.' Read More...

23.02.2010: Provisional Seniority list of Regular DEs: BSNL has circulated the provisional seniority list of Regular DEs, inviting discrepancies/objections if any. View list...

22.02.2010: Response from PMO to our letter on BSNL's falling revenues: PMO has forwarded CHQ letter dated 11.01.2010 on BSNL's falling revenues [View CHQ letter] to MoC and DoT for appropriate action. View PMO letter...

22.02.2010:Security worry may delay cell no. portability: Consumers are in for a long wait and even potential withdrawal of the proposed launch of mobile number portability (MNP), with the proposal running into trouble with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) - PTI

20.02.2010: BSNL plans to foray into mobile banking by FY 2011: BSNL today said it plans to add 2.2 crore subscribers next fiscal and is mulling foray into the mobile banking and advertising space. "Next year (2010-11) we are keeping a target of 22 million mobile connections- 20 million 2G connections and two million 3G," BSNL's Director (Consumer Mobility) R K Agarwal told PTI. Agarwal also said BSNL is working on a mobile banking platform. "We have tested a platform, by which money can be transferred. Pilot testing has been done in Chandigarh on money transfer through (money) order by SMS." "We are in touch with the Postal Department, along with whom we will roll out mobile banking," he said, adding that the proposed roll-out would be done step-by-step as RBI has a "cautious policy" as "they have to check frauds which may occur". (PTI)

19.02.2010: Clarifications relating to Executive Promotion Policy: BSNL has issued more clarifications on various points/issues relating to BSNL Executive Promotion Policy. View clarifications...

18.02.2010: CHQ writes to CMD BSNL requesting two years' moratorium on transfers under BSNL Transfer Policy: 'We therefore request you to kindly appreciate the rationale behind our view and to cause orders imposing a moratorium on transfers under BSNL Transfer Policy for atleast Two Years, so that we can reap the fruits of the Restructuring exercise.' Read More...

17.02.2010: Non-adherence by BSNL of DPE guidelines on economy measures and rationalising expenditure: DPE has forwarded our letter dated 24.11.2009 on this issue to DoT for necessary action. View DPE letter...

17.02.2010: Effect on modification/expunction of adverse remarks in ACR: BSNL endorses DoT guideline that once there is modification/expunction of adverse remarks in ACR, the overall grading should also be modified accordingly in respect of ACRs prior to 2008-2009. View letter...

16.02.2010: Transfer and Postings in SDE (E): BSNL issues transfer orders in SDE (E) grade. View orders...

16.02.2010: Promotion from JTO (E) to SDE (E): BSNL issues promotion and posting orders from JTO (E) to SDE (E). View orders...

15.02.2010: All India GSM Subscriber Figures for January 2010: BSNL growth rate slightly improves from 15.06% to 15.08%. View figures...

12.02.2010:  Second Anniversary of launching of AIBSNLOA CHQ website: As assured on the first anniversary, this site has completed another successful year, continuing with its factual, transparent, un-biased and bold reporting. AIBSNLOA CHQ is also keeping up its promise to fight deteriorating conditions in BSNL. It has been taking up the issues of all categories, focussing sharply on the issues involved, which others have failed to even think of and has been repeatedly pursuing them with the administration, if required with other Ministries and Departments. AIBSNLOA has been successful in settling many issues and is pursuing the others relentlessly. AIBSNLOA has received all round support for its way of functioning. We pledge to carry forward our determination and struggle towards protecting BSNL and its Executives. We appeal to all supporters to rally behind this Association by enrolling as members and to strenghthen its efforts to achieve justice in all issues.

12.02.2010:  CAG to audit a/cs of 5 telcos; TRAI appoints nodal officer: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the apex audit body, has decided to audit the accounts of five telcos-- Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Tata, Vodafone and the state-run BSNL-- for 2009-10. A senior TRAI official said Manoj Mishra, a Deputy Adviser has been appointed as the nodal officer. "The audit is aimed at giving a reasonable assurance to the government on the revenue share from the licencees. In the current year, I propose to take up audit of the accounts of Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Tata and Vodafone along with BSNL," Director General of Audit (Post and Telegraph) RP Singh said in a communication to Telecom Secretary PJ Thomas.(ET)

11.02.2010: Govt considering private placement of BSNL shares: Union Minister of State for Communications and IT, Sachin Pilot, today said the Government is considering private placement of shares of state-run telco BSNL Ltd as hopes for an initial public offer (IPO) fade. "There is no final decision yet (on a private placement of shares for BSNL). It is under consideration but the final decision will come from the Cabinet," Pilot told reporters on the sidelines of the NASSCOM summit here. The Union Government has been mulling an IPO for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, India's fifth largest telecom company. However, it is felt that there might be a rethink on it now after the follow-on public offer of state-run power generator NTPC Ltd received a tepid response from investors. (ET)

09.02.2010: Special increment for undergoing sterilisation operation:  BSNL employees will be eligible for Special increment, for undergoing sterilisation operation in BSNL empanelled hospitals also in addition to Government Hospitals, CGHS recognised hospitals and Institutions approved by Central/State Governments. View orders...

08.02.2010: BSNL says still the no.4 operator even without Delhi & Mumbai presence: Referring to TRAI’s figures for December 2009, BSNL claims that it still is positioned in the number 4 rank with the operator adding on an average 2 million subscribers every month. The PSU also tried to suggest that comparing its performance with private competitors was not fair as the operator is not operational in high potential markets of Delhi and Mumbai. According to the TRAI report, BSNL’s subscriber base at the end of December 31, 2009 was 62.861 million. (TT)

08.02.2010: BSNL claims 0.85 million 3G subscribers: BSNL is all geared up to expand its 3G services with 400 cities to be covered by March. The company claims it has 856,000 subscribers for 3G services which presently cover 318 cities. By September 2010, BSNL plans to cover 760 cities with its 3G services.(TT)

07.02.2010:TRAI mulls coming up with consultation paper on telecom towers: Amid the continuing stalemate over telecom towers atop houses in Noida near here, sectoral regulator TRAI today said it is planning to come up with a consultation paper on among other things identification of locations for setting up towers. The paper will also seek opinion from the stakeholders on the future projections of telecom tower requirements for better coverage, TRAI said in statement. It will also highlight the issues of safe radiation from mobile towers and encourage alternate source of energy for the tower to reduce pollution. The stakeholders must send their comments by February 26, 2010, during the pre-consultation stage, it added.(ET)

05.02.2010: CHQ writes to CMD BSNL on Payment of Electricity charges under Industrial tariff instead of commercial tariff as at present to save thousands of crores of rupees: 'We would like to draw your kind attention towards a very important issue which if resolved would result in saving of thousands of crores of rupees for BSNL every year.' Read More...

05.02.2010: LDCE for promotion to the grade of Rajbhasha Adhikari: BSNL has decided to hold LDCE for promotion to the grade of Rajbhasha Adhikari on May 23 2010 on the basis of RR of Rajbhasha Adhikari, 2005. View orders... [Please read our latest letter on this issue.  This is a definite breakthrough as the examination was not held for a very long time on the plea of court cases. Now notification has been issued subject to the outcome of the court cases. But our demand for holding it on the basis of RR of 2002 has not been considered.  We shall pursue the issue further]

04.02.2010: Reimbursement of treatment taken in Ayurvedic, Unani and Naturopathy hospitals: BSNL has clarified that the claims of medical expenditure incurred on treatment in Ayurvedic, Unani and Naturopathy Hospitals shall be considered as outdoor treatment and shall be reimbursed accordingly. View orders...

03.02.2010:DoT calls for meeting of operators over MNP implementation:The DoT has called for a meeting of all the CEOs of telecom service providers to know the preparedness of each one of them and thereby decide on the date for implementation of mobile number portability (MNP), reports the PTI.

01.02.2010: CHQ writes to CMD BSNL on Non-filling up SC/ST quota as per post based roaster system in JTO to SDE promotion: 'As per the above information furnished under RTI Act, the total number of left out JTOs yet to be considered for promotion for the vacancies of the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 works out to 501 (2542-2041) and for the SC category officers the number of unfilled vacancies is 111 (381-270) plus the vacancies shown to have been filled up by 42 officers who had already been promoted through LDCE.' Read More...