BSNL union members hold demonstration

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 15

The forum of BSNL unions and associations held a demonstration during lunch hours in front of the office of GMTD Ludhiana at Bharat Nagar Chowk today, opposing formation of separate subsidiary tower company of BSNL.

Jasvir Singh, North Zone secretary of SNEA (I), while addressing the demonstration said, "On September 12, the Union Cabinet had decided to form a subsidiary tower company of BSNL. The entire 66,000 mobile towers, which are backbone of BSNL, will be handed over to the new company. This move of the government will badly effect the financial position of BSNL."

"As per the disinvestment and strategic sale of public policies of the government, the new formed company will be put for strategic sale which means that private telecom players will become part of the management," Singh said. "BSNL will be forced to pay for services of mobile towers, the own assets of BSNL, and hence this move will ruin the BSNL and its employees," he added.

Avtar Singh Jhande, district secretary BSNLEU, and Vinay Raina, district secretary NF-TE, said, "The government's propaganda that the tower company will totally be under the control of BSNL was totally misleading as the "Nita Aayog" has given its recommendations for strategic sale of BSNL in July last year. If BSNL was put for strategic sale, the private players will soon take over the tower company." They urged the Central leadership to start a serious struggle so that decision was taken back and BSNL was saved from the clutches of the private telecom players."