News pertaining to June 2008

• 25.06.2008: Issue of promotion order on ad hoc basis from SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom: The orders may not be released as expected this week since vigilance clearance is yet to be received in respect of a large number of officers. Personnel Branch is taking maximum efforts to get the same.  The promotion orders will be issued thereafter.

• 25.06.2008: The process for declaration of results of SDE Competitive Examination  is reported to be over.  Results are likely to be declared in a day or two.

• 23.06.2008:CHQ writes to Cabinet Secretary on implementation of recommendations of VI CPC on Dept. of Telecom. 'BSNL also suffers on account of such a huge population of Officers on deputation basis having nothing at stake for them in the important policy making and execution positions. BSNL needs a group of committed Managers who will be responsible and accountable for BSNL’s growth and viability. Under the above background, these Officers whose deemed deputation period has expired on 1.10.2005 need to be repatriated back to DoT if they do not opt for absorption in BSNL.' Read More...

• 23.06.2008:CHQ writes to CMD BSNL on migration of Corporate and Government subscribers to private operators.'In regard to the Southern Railways decision to migrate, we would like to urge upon you to kindly take up the matter at the highest level and have discussions with the concerned authority so that the migration could be stopped. Otherwise, we may lose other zonal railways as well.' Read More...

• 23.06.2008:BSNL issues orders on inter-circle transfer policy for Direct Recruit JTOs. View order...

• 19.06.2008:Issue of promotion order on ad hoc basis from SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom:  DoT has so far not taken any decision regarding revision of seniority of the remaining SDEs on the principle that was followed to revise the seniority of 54 SDEs Telecom following SC Order.  However, BSNL is all set to release the promotion Order based on the existing seniority lists. Some of the 54 SDEs whose seniority has now been revised are also to get their promotion orders. The promotion order may be released by the end of next week.

• 19.06.2008:AAO Pay Scale:  The proposal to grant the IDA Pay Scale of Rs 11875-300-17275 to the AAOs of BSNL on regular basis will now be placed in the next meeting of the BSNL Board for approval. Thereafter, it would be sent to DoT. The proposal to grant this Pay Scale has  to get the concurrence of Department of Public Enterprises finally

• 18.06.2008: A condolence meeting was held today in the CTO Auditorium, New Delhi to pay tribute to Late Com M B Vichare, Secretary General, NFTE BSNL. Leaders of different Unions/Associations representing the non-Executives and Executives of BSNL/MTNL paid their homage. Com V P Arya, General Secretary, AIBSNLOA paid homage on behalf of the Association. Com S Basu, General Secretary, AIBSNLREA also paid homage to Late Com Vichare, who suddenly expired on 12^th June 2008 at Srinagar in J&K while attending the Circle Conference.

• 18.06.2008:BSNL initiates process of holding of Limited Internal Competitive Examination for the post of Junior Hindi Translator. Examination will be conducted by Circles in October 2008. Read More...

• 17.06.2008:BSNL issues transfer orders for SDEs (Telecom) who have completed tenure and provides substitutes for them. View order...

• 16.06.2008:BSNL issues transfer orders for STS of ITS Group A officers who have completed tenure and provides substitutes for them. View order...

• 14.06.2008: There have been requests over phone and through e-mail for some time now, for publishing the orders dated 25.03.2008 of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the Contempt Petition 248/2007, based on which the seniority of 45 SDEs were revised recently by the DoT (published in this site on 30.05.2008).  The text of the above order is now available in DOWNLOAD section.  DoT has revised the seniority of another 9 SDEs also based on the same order, who were petitioners in CWP No. 13/2007 in Himachal Pradesh High Court.

• 14.06.2008: We had earlier reported that, in a remarkable and historic judgment, Supreme Court has held that 'all entries 'good' or 'bad' made by a superior in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of a government employee should be communicated to him or her.' The text of the judgment is now available in DOWNLOAD section.

• 14.06.2008: AIBSNLOA Uttaranchal Circle Body has been launched on 12.06.2008 with great enthusiasm. View list of Circle office-bearers...

• 13.06.2008 (1245 Hrs): Group of Ministers which was constituted after the returning of the cabinet note,  to  the DoT by the Union Cabinet,  on the proposals of some concessions to ITS Group A officers for absorption in BSNL,   has reportedly recommended: 1) 36% Special Allowance, within  the higher ceiling  of 50% of basic pay, for perks and allowances. 2) Equating NFSG (Non Functional Selection Grade) to E7 scale. The GOM has not recommended any other concession including absorption of Group A officers from a prospective date.  It may be recalled that we had strongly protested against this particular concession of prospective absorption and had written to the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers on this issue.  DoT Secretary was also said to have questioned the rationality behind the demand for such a concession while addressing a meeting of BSNL officers at Bhubaneshwar, which was reported by us a few days back.

• 12.06.2008 (2000 Hrs): Issue of Promotion Orders on adhoc basis from SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom - Present Status: The much awaited Orders for promotion on adhoc basis of nearly 1150 SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom is getting  delayed since DoT is still undecided whether they would revise the seniority list of the TES Group B Officers in the same principle that was followed for fixation of seniority of  only S/Shri Brij Mohan and P N Lal. Recently, following Court directions, DoT has revised seniority of another 54 SDEs under the same principle. DoT is now stated to have been seeking the advice of Ministry of Law before taking a decision on the matter. In case, DoT goes for revision of seniority of rest of the SDEs under the same principle as followed in the above cases, a fresh action has to be taken to hold the DPC based on revised seniority list and the promotion orders will be indefinitely delayed. If DoT decides to go with the present seniority lists along with the partial modification in regard to above 54 SDEs, the promotion Order that may afterwards be issued will include some of these 54 SDEs. In this case also, some more time will be required for BSNL to complete the process and issue the promotion Order.

• 12.06.2008 (0800 Hrs): We learn with anguish that Com.M.B.Vichare, General Secretary, NFTE-BSNL has passed away. He is reported to have had a massive heart attack while attending a conference in Srinagar.  He was a very vibrant and energetic leader and had a very huge following in Maharashtra.  As SG of NFTE-BSNL he was part of all common programmes despite differences in approach.  His demise is a great loss to the Telecom Trade Union movement.  AIBSNLOA CHQ conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and members of NFTE-BSNL.

• 11.06.2008:Another controversy relating to BSNL purchase order: A move by Swedish telecom major Ericsson, the main implementation partner for BSNL's disaster recovery (DR) program, to replace Sun Microsystems and EMC Corporation storage solutions with Hewlett-Packard (HP) products has kicked up a controversy. Read More...

• 10.06.2008: BSNL issues orders on fixation of IDA equivalent of CDA pay for the purpose of TA. Read More...

• 10.06.2008: BSNL issues promotion orders from JTO (E) to SDE (E). View orders

• 10.06.2008: BSNL issues transfer orders in the cadre of SDE (E). View orders

• 08.06.2008:Impact of various Court judgments on seniority of SDEs (Telecom): Although DOT has ordered revision of seniority of 54 SDEs (45 + 9) in the face of the contempt petition filed in HP High Court, issue of orders for promotion of around 1150 SDEs (Telecom) to DE Telecom on adhoc basis is still not in sight.  The DPC has completed its proceedings, but DoT is reported to be examining the matter of considering revision of seniority of all similarly placed SDEs.  It is reportedly seeking the advice of Addl. Solicitor General in this regard.

• 08.06.2008: AIBSNLOA’s Appeal to Prime Minister on ITS absorption:  Secretary, DoT Shri Siddhartha Behura, while addressing a meeting of BSNL officers in Bhubaneshwar in Orissa last week, is reported to have said that the ITS officers cannot expect to prolong their deemed deputation endlessly.  Instead of worrying about pension, they should work for the welfare of the BSNL.  Their choice is now limited to either getting absorbed in BSNL or going to surplus cell, he is said to have announced categorically.  He is also said to have pulled them up for their unreasonable demand of absorption from a prospective date, stating that when all the employees and majority of officers have got absorbed from 1.10.2000, what was the justification for them to demand absorption from a prospective date.  This definitely indicates a distinct change in approach by DoT, particularly after our letter on the issue to Prime Minister (please read the letter...) and subsequent returning of the cabinet note on the matter to the DoT with some queries. 

• 08.06.2008:BSNL revises tariff for its Post-paid & Pre-paid mobile subscribers and Landline/Wll subscribers. View revised tariff for 1. Post-paid mobile     2.Pre-paid mobile         3. Landline/WLL

• 03.06.2008:CHQ writes to CMD BSNL on deficiences in Kenen FX software.'A lot of difficulties are now being experienced in the field due to implementation of this new software package which are required to be immediately removed.' Read More...

• 02.06.2008:Promotion on Adhoc basis from SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom:  The Orders for promotion of just about 1150 SDEs Telecom to DEs Telecom is likely to be delayed indefinitely till a decision is taken at DoT level about recasting of seniority for rest of the SDEs in terms of the judgment delivered by Supreme Court involving S/Shri P N Lal and Brij Mohan. Meanwhile, DoT has issued Orders revising the seniority of 45 SDEs  in the face of the Contempt proceedings in H.P. High Court at Shimla to protect the respondents (order already published  in this site on 30.05.2008).

• 01.06.2008:BSNL to slash STD rates to Re 1 amidst tariff war: BSNL is set to offer the lowest STD rates in the country, between Re 1 and Re 1.20 per minute, with some special plans offering rates as low as 70-80 paise per minute. The current STD call rate stands at Rs 2.40 per minute. The new rates will be equally applicable on landline phones as well. Under the plan, STD calls on BSNL’s own network would be Re 1 per minute while calls on other networks would be at the rate of Re 1.20 per minute. And the landline calls on all networks would be at Re 1.20 per minute. The scheme, which will be applicable on both pre-paid and post-paid subscribers, will pull off on from either June 1 or 5. (TT Bureau)