Centre urged to drop disinvestment of BSNL

Vijayawada, Jan 21 (UNI) A Joint Forum of BSNL unions and associations today demanded that the Centre drop the proposal of 10 per cent disinvestment of BSNL, which was announced on January 14.

They decided to intensify the protest by restoring indefinite strike from February 26 if the proposal was not withdrawn, Forum Chairman J Umamaheswara Rao told UNI here.

Mr Rao said that apart from the disinvestment proposal, the forum demanded withdrawal of VRS, provision of GSM line 2g, 3g, broad band, spectrum, ensuring financial viability of BSNL through ADC, USOF, license fee reimbursement, granting navaratna status to BSNL and withdrawal of arbitrary orders dated June 15, 2006, on pension.

He claimed that the 10 per cent disinvestment was the first step towards privatization, which was against the assurances given by DoT to the BSNL employees.

It was unfortunate that the programme of launching free insurance cover to the BSNL subscribers was sidelined and the disinvestment of BSNL through IPO was announced, he opined.

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