Government Sabotaging BSNL, Claims Trade Unions

KOLKATA:
The government has sabotaged the state owned telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) by not offering level playing field and releasing its dues at the hours of crisis, BSNL trade unions said here on Tuesday.

The trade unions want the government release 4G spectrum to the BSNL to compete in the highly-competitive telecom market. In protest, members of the trade unions will bring out a procession across the country on November 14, All Unions & Association of BSNL West Bengal convenor Animesh Mitra said.

“BSNL was converted to a company 18 years before when the BJP was in power. Since then, consecutive governments have not done anything to change its situation for the better, and continued to sabotage the BSNL,” Mitra said.

“BSNL is not able to modernise due to lack of 4G spectrum and funds. The government has not even returned Rs 8000 crore for surrender of spectrum in 2013, another trade union leader Tapas Ghosh said. Mitra said government had been asked to return Rs 2,000 crore deducted by the government on account of pension contribution for the employees.