BSNL order on rentals withdrawn

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI,JUNE 2. The recent order of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) regarding charging of telephone rentals in advance with effect from May 1, 2001, has been withdrawn and the status quo ante has been restored. The withdrawal of the order means that rentals would continue to be charged as was the position up to the end of April, 2001.

Any disconnection of telephone for non-payment of advance rental as per the order will be reconnected without any reconnection charge. Orders to these effects have already been issued by BSNL on May 31, to all heads of telecom circles, an official news release said here today.

The BSNL had issued an order on March 23 regarding charging of rentals in advance with effect from May 1. A number of subscribers and organisations in several parts of the country had complained against the move, which amounted to charging rentals for up to five months in the transition-bill.

Meanwhile, the Government has changed the nomenclature of Extra Department Agents (EDAs) to Gramin Dak Sewaks. The unions had gone on strike three times in the past over this issue. There are more than three lakh workers who are providing postal connectivity to rural India.

There has been long standing demand from these postal workers in rural India to change their nomenclature, the term Extra Departmental being perceived as invidious and unjustified. This demand has been pending for some years and was also included in the charter of demands on which the postal federations resorted to strike in December 2000.

The Department of Posts (DoP) through its countrywide network provides basic postal services and other important functions like small savings. The network in the rural areas, comprising about 1.28 lakh post offices, is manned by part time workers known as ``Extra Department Agents''.

The EDA system existing for more than 100 years has proved its usefulness as a cost effective means of extending essential means of postal communications to rural India.

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