The Hindu Business Line : ITS(Kolkata) officers' concern over transfer `option'

AT the next hearing scheduled for October 7, the Indian Telecommunication Services Association (ITSA), Kolkata Chapter, will urge the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to ensure that an earlier order of the latter is complied with till all relevant cases are disposed of.

The order is on the maintenance of status quo with regard to the proposed absorption of all ITS officers (Grade I) from the erstwhile Department of Telecom Services into Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. ISTA may even approach CAT and other courts of law with a request to initiate contempt proceedings if the orders of the Court are not complied with.

While the Union Cabinet, at its meeting held on September 29, extended the period of deputation of the ITS (Grade I) officers to BSNL till October 15, the Department of Telecommunications has given them time till October 10 to exercise their "option" of getting absorbed into BSNL, which was formed on October 1, 2000. ITS cadre officers across the country number around 2,200, ranging from the Secretary to the Government of India to Junior Time Scale Grade officers.

In a letter to his colleagues dated September 26, the Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL, Mr A. K. Sinha, urged them to exercise their option of joining BSNL. The latter stated that in the event of the ITS cadre officers not exercising their option, they "may eventually be placed on the surplus cell in line with Government guidelines," according to informed sources.

When contacted, appalled ITS cadre officers here said their employment had been secured through the Indian Engineering Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Any change in their service conditions would have to be preceded by an amendment to the Act of Parliament under which they were governed.

"Where is the question of exercising an option when the choice is between getting absorbed in BSNL and being placed on the surplus cell of the Department of Personnel," some aggrieved ITS cadre officers said and enumerated several contentious issues in this regard. First, the terms and conditions of absorption were "confusing and ambiguous" even as the financial packages offered were not acceptable. Second, as Central Government servants, they are now eligible for pension. Once in BSNL, which is a public sector undertaking, they would be entitled to only a contributory provident fund. Third, after absorption into BSNL, they would lose their status as gazetted officers. And finally, the "inevitable divestment" of Government equity in BSNL on the lines of VSNL has raised apprehensions about the security of service of ITS cadre officers in the long term.

According to them, the Government has been resorting to intimidatorytactics to demoralise and destabilise the ITS cadre with a view to compelling them to get absorbed into BSNL. In the last two years, all promotions that have fallen due have been held up. At a meeting convened by the BSNL CMD last week, all telecom circle heads were asked to keep a contingency plan ready for the facilitation of telecom services in the event of possible disruption. The proposed contingency plan provides for deployment of army personnel, private vendors, retired telecom officers and serving officers from other departments for running services.

"The ITS cadre comprises skilled professionals who have contributed to the growth of telecom infrastructure in the country, especially in the rural areas and border regions. We have not resorted to any agitation at all. BSNL is a profitable enterprise. We are willing to continue working as Central Government officers on deputation rather than be coerced into getting absorbed into BSNL on terms and conditions that are not favourable to us," the sources said. Among those who have written to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, urging him to handle the issue include the former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Members of Parliament such as Mr Basudeb Archarya, Mr Gurudas Dasgupta and Mr Dipankar Mukherjee, said the sources.

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