Karnataka - Hassan   

Centre accused of promoting private telecom services

Staff Correspondent

Reduction in tariff will affect BSNL: union leader

HASSAN: G.K. Gundanna, zonal secretary of BSNL Workers' Union, Karnataka Circle, has alleged that the United Progressive Alliance Government is encouraging private telecom services at the cost of BSNL.

Speaking at the district-level conference of the BSNL Workers' Union here, he said BSNL's announcement of reducing tariffs would help in strengthening private telecom services. Earlier revision of tariffs in telecom services ended in BSNL incurring a loss of Rs. 600 crore, he added.

He accused the National Democratic Alliance Government of trying to sell BSNL. Mr. Gundanna said the union was not for any confrontation with BSNL, but for the welfare of workers and the development of the company. The Government was thinking of introducing Voluntary Retirement Scheme to BSNL employees so that it could revert to the contract system, he alleged.

General Manager of Hassan BSNL K. Shivaraj said the Centre had declared 2007 as Broadband Year. The broadband facility would be extended to taluk level. Equipment was expected in the next two months.

He said the telephone density in India was the lowest in the world. BSNL was number one in the country in providing telephone connections till 2000. Of the 19 crore telephone connections in India, BSNL's share was six crore. The target was to add 60 lakh telephone connections every month. BSNL's target was to add 20 lakh connections, but only six lakh were being added. The Centre wanted 50 crore telephone connections in the country by 2010. Of them, BSNL's target was 25 crore. BSNL might achieve 12.5 crore connections, he added.

Deputy General Manager Madhusudhan Raj said BSNL could not survive unless technology was upgraded.

District unit president Anthony Swamy spoke.

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