The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “BSNL divestment to affect sovereignty and security”

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Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

“BSNL divestment to affect sovereignty and security”

Staff Reporter

Possibility to expand into a more profitable organisation

BSNL has a clear advantage over the private players in the telecom sector
BSNL, an A+ status public sector undertaking should be protected at all costs

KARUR: Divestment of shares in the public sector giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would affect sovereignty and security, according to state secretary of the National Federation of Telecom Employees R. Pattabiraman.

District conference

Speaking on the sidelines of the fourth district conference of the Federation here on Monday, Mr. Pattabiraman said that there was a possibility that the BSNL could expand into a more profitable and lucrative organization.

There were plans to create nine connections and induct third generation technology.

Politics, multinational companies’ negative actions, undue competition and such other factors might adversely influence the BSNL as an organization.

Workers’ union to oppose

If those factors tried to undermine the BSNL, then workers’ unions would not hesitate to oppose and defeat the forces, Mr. Pattabiraman said.

Stating that the BSNL had a clear advantage over the private players in the telecom sector, he said that BSNL offered more schemes to attract all sections of society in particular the youth, the employed and the rural populace. Private players could not compete effectively in covering those sectors, he added.

BSNL that was one of the A+ status PSUs should be protected at all costs and trade unions would oppose any policy that sought to negate the gains, he underlined.

Negative impact of divestment

If the proposed plan to divest 10 per cent shares of the BSNL be implemented, then there would be a compulsion to share the privileged information with the private directors who would enter into the organization.

That would equal compromising with the sovereignty and have a negative impact on national security, Mr. Pattabiraman said.

“Drop plan to integrate”

Also, the Centre should drop any plan to integrate loss-making PSU with the profitable BSNL. In that connection, we would urge the government to separately rehabilitate the sinking Indian Telephone Industry.

NFTE state president S. Tamilmani, district president D. Selvaraj, BSNL Officers’ Union district secretary V. Vimaladithan and others spoke.

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