Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111956411100.htm

Tamil Nadu

Absorb ITS officials into BSNL, say associations

Or take back all 3.5 lakh staff as government employees

—Photo: S. James

PRESSING FORWARD: Members of Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association and All India BSNL Executives’ Association taking out a procession in Madurai on Tuesday.

MADURAI: Refusal of Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officers to enter Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has stalled its development, the Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association (SNEA) and All India BSNL Executives’ Association (AIBSNLEA) have alleged.

Members of both the associations took out a procession here on Tuesday protesting against non-absorption of ITS officers into BSNL even eight years after its formation. “While over 3.5 lakh employees and Group ‘B’ officials are in the payrolls of the BSNL, the ITS officers, who are in the top management, continue to be government employees. This shows that they are uninterested in the development of BSNL,” said N. Alagarsamy, central working committee member, SNEA.

Either the BSNL must absorb all the ITS officials or else all the 3.5 lakh staff and Group ‘B’ officers be taken back as government employees, the associations demanded.

Office-bearers S. Kanniappan and R. Rajeswaran, (SNEA) and M. Raghamathullah and M. Sangaiah (AIBSNLEA), led the procession.