 Hello and welcome to NewsClick. Today we have with us Mr. Abhimanyu, the General Secretary of the BSNL Employees Union. We'll discuss with him about the recent revival package announced by the government of India. Welcome sir. So the government of India has announced a revival package for the BSNL. Do you think it will definitely revive the BSNL from the current crisis? See, basically the revival package offered by the government of India consists of two important aspects. One is allotment of 4G spectrum. In fact, at least for the past four or five years, the entire unions and associations of BSNL have been demanding that BSNL should be allotted 4G spectrum. Another aspect is that implementation of VRS. Around 80,000 employees are leaving the company under VRS. These are the two important aspects of the revival package. So far as the VRS is concerned, we are of the strong opinion that it is totally unwarranted. In fact, we have even demanded to the government of India, whatever amount you intend to spend for implementing the VRS, that amount can be given to BSNL as a financial assistance for its revival. That was not paid heed to. Why I am saying that VRS is totally unwarranted? The government as well as the BSNL management are trying to paint a picture as if BSNL has gone into loss only because of the huge workforce. That is not the truth. BSNL was having one lakh more employees during 2004-5. And I want to say that the same BSNL with one lakh more employees earned a net profit of 10,000 crores in the financial year 2004-5. Now, after one lakh employees have gone home, the company is running into loss. So the reason is employees' strength is not the main issue. But the issue is the policies being adopted by the government. So far as the Indian telecom sector is concerned, it is very important to note that it is not only BSNL. Airtel has gone into loss. Vodafone idea has gone into loss. In fact, Vodafone idea is the biggest corporate that is running into loss now because the loss incurred by Vodafone idea in one single quarter is the highest in Indian history. So what we want to say, the government even without implementing VRS, the government could have taken certain steps, would have financially revived BSNL. Basically, the unions and associations, they are functioning under the umbrella organization, AUAB, all unions and associations of BSNL. The demand of the AUAB is that BSNL should be allotted with 4G spectrum. And BSNL should be given some soft loan. Government of India has given soft loan to 96 countries. BSNL is the government of India's own child. And we demanded that government of India should give a soft loan so that BSNL can have the necessary investment to modernize its technology and to come out of loss. Unfortunately, it was not accepted by the government. But now 4G spectrum has been allotted. But what about other requirements? For example, BTSS means the equipments mounted on towers. Around 50,000 BTSS are 4G enabled means by making a small upgradation of the technology, all these 50,000 BTSS could be converted into 4G BTSS. But this technical upgradation of those BTSS has to be done only by the original ventures. Original ventures are one company's Chinese ZTE, the other one is Nokia. But both these companies, Nokia or ZTE, they are reluctant to upgrade these 3G BTSS into 4G BTSS, because BSNL has to pay huge amount to these companies, outstanding amount, dues. I think it is around 1200 crores outstanding loan, I mean amount has to be paid to ZTE. Similarly, a very big amount has to be paid to Nokia. So, these companies, vendors have taken a position that unless you clear the outstanding dues, we will not upgrade your BTSS. So, you know the revival package was announced on 23rd October. BSNL management does not know when it is going to launch its pan India 4G service, because the procurement of 4G equipments is one part. But the existing BTSS have got to be upgraded. So, basically even after the implementation of revival package, BSNL is not having the working capital to either to launch its 4G service and also, for example, the contract workers, they are not paid their wages for the past 10 months. It is a very unfortunate situation. Even presently, BSNL employees are not getting their salary every month. And similarly, BSNL management is not having sufficient funds even to pay electricity bills. That tragedy continues even today. So, basically, the BSNL management should have got some financial assistance from the government to come out of the crisis. Allotment of 4G spectrum alone, it is not going to take BSNL out of the crisis. So, that is the situation now. CMT BSNL has told us that 4G services are likely to be launched in July. It is too long a period and the people are expecting BSNL to start its 4G services without further delay. And in fact, sufficient publicity is also coming in various media that BSNL is going to start its 4G service from March 1st, etc. It is not correct. So, BSNL should immediately launch its and the government, BSNL employees union has written a letter to the honorable minister, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad. After allotment of 4G spectrum, if sufficient working capital is not provided, how the company can launch its 4G service, but it is not being taken note of. But what I suspect, what we strongly, as a trade union, what we strongly suspect, the whole intention of the government in introducing the revival package is not exactly to revive BSNL, but to close it down as early as possible. Because through VRS, they have already in BSNL alone, they have retrenched. I will like to use the word retrenched. It is not voluntary retirement. Minister himself told, if BSNL employees do not voluntarily go on VRS, their retirement age will be reduced from 60 to 58. Minister himself told us, told us, told me. So, a threat was sent out. BSNL employees were forced to go on VRS in a large number, 80,000 employees. So, now, just like Air India, in 2018, the government of India announced the privatization of Air India, but there was no one to purchase, because there is a loan of Air India is having a debt burden of 50,000 crore rupees. So, together with that 50,000 crore liability, no entity wants to take over Air India. Again, revised offer has been made wherein almost the entire financial liability of Air India is going to be borne by government of India and other offers are being made. So, what I want to say, Air India has been made attractive for privatization. Similarly, implementation of VRS in BSNL is only intended to make BSNL attractive for future privatization. Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad is making very beautiful announcements. BSNL, MTNL are our strategic assets. They will remain, government will strengthen, absolutely nothing. When government is out to dismantle the entire public sector of the country in BSNL, we are not prepared to accept the words of the minister that BSNL will remain. No, absolutely not. Now, the whole strategy of the government, they through VRS, they have already retrenched more than 50% of the workforce, which itself is an attraction for privatization. And through implementation, I mean launching of 4G service. And now you know, all the private operators have also raised their tariff, both call charges as well as data charges. Geo has raised, it's a tariff to the extent of 40%. And Vodafone idea and Airtel have raised their tariff to 40% to the extent of 45%. So, BSNL is also likely to fall in line. If not immediately, if not in one go, at least gradually BSNL is also likely to increase its tariff. So, through all this process implemented, I mean launching of 4G and raising of tariff. So, our whole apprehension is to, is that government will take BSNL out of the laws. Government will enable BSNL to start earning profit. Thereafter, immediately, government will go in for privatization of BSNL, undoubtedly. So, the whole task being faced by the trade unions in BSNL is that, yes, we want BSNL to exist as a viable, vibrant, profit making public sector company. In 2015, December, a devastating flood came in Chennai. All the private operators shut down their services because for fear of damage to their equipment, shut down their equipment, I mean equipment services. It was only BSNL. BSNL was not having even, there was no electricity supply. BSNL had no money, but they mobilized funds to procure diesel and BSNL's installations were running day and night and that is how support was given to the relief and rescue operations done by the government. This is BSNL. So, BSNL alone can serve the people. So, we want BSNL to remain as a vibrant public sector company and at the same time, we do not lose sight of the fact that the intention of the government is to dismantle the entire public sector of the country because that is the demand of the corporates, no public sector. Why BPCL is being sold? It is not a loss making company. It is a huge profit making company giving high returns to the government every year. It is being privatized. So, we do not lose sight of the fact that government will privatize BSNL also. So, our whole strategy is to see that on one side, yes, being the workforce, the workforce will do its best to see that BSNL is revived at the earliest. BSNL provides quality service to the public at affordable rate and at the same time, to the extent possible, we will try to see that BSNL remains as a public sector company. For that purpose, the left out employees and officers of BSNL alone cannot accomplish that task of defending BSNL as a public sector company. We have to join hands shoulder to shoulder. We have to join with the rest of the working class of India. So, just like the general strike which has taken place on 8th January, we will join hands with the rest of the working class of India and we will continue to carry on powerful struggles against the privatization policies of the Narendra Modi government and this is our idea.