poornima lagadapati
Active member
More than 88,000 BSNL employees will be fired, co will be privatised: BJP MP | Photo Credit: ANIKEY HIGHLIGHTS
- BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde said only way to save the ailing state-run teleco is to privatise it
- In 2019, government said BSNL and its subsidiary MTNL won't be privatised
- In October, 2019, Rs 69,000-crore revival plan was introduced to improve cash flows, clear employee dues of BSNL, MTNL
“BSNL has a system filled with traitors. I am using accurate words to describe them,” said the BJP legislator while speaking virtually at an event held Monday at Kumta in Uttara Kannada district. He accused the BSNL employees of being lazy and incompetent and blamed them for the state telecom carrier’s misfortune.
"The government has given money, people require services and there is infrastructure. Yet, they (BSNL employees) don't work. PM talks of Digital India, has provided funds and technology. Yet, they are not willing to work," Hedge reportedly said adding that the only solution left with the government to fix the PSU is to privatise it and fire 88,000 employees.
“More than 88000 employees will be fired, as govt will privatise BSNL,” he added.
Govt refused privation, introduced revival plan
The government, last year, said BSNL and its subsidiary Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) won’t be privatised and promised a revival package. It intervened with a four-step Rs 69,000-crore revival plan for the ailing PSUs to overcome daily cash flow requirement and salary dues of the employees.
Under the plan, the government introduced a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) which allowed employees aged above 53 and half to be given 125% remuneration of the salary, pension and gratuity till the age of 60. As many as 78,300 reportedly opted for the scheme which reportedly allowed BSNL to save 50% of staff-related costs of Rs 14,500 crore. As many as 76% of MTNL's total workforce took the VRS