People's Democracy

Don’t Bury Telegram Services: BSNL Unions

THROUGH a statement issued from New Delhi on July 14, the Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations has described the decision of the BSNL management and the communications minister to stop the 163 years old telegram services as an ill advised and anti-people one. The Forum expressed its strong protest to this move and demanded that the government and the BSNL management must continue the services which are still used by certain sections of the people.

The plea of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited for taking this drastic decision is the alleged loss the company had been running for running the telegram services. It was stated by the CMD of the BSNL that while there was about Rs 100 crore expenditure per year on this service, the revenue was less than Rs one crore. The next argument was that there are better communication services available to the people, like SMS, mobile services, internet etc.  

To the Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations, these are only distortion of facts and reality. More than 50,000 telegrams are booked, sent and delivered every month and lakhs of rupees received through the services. The so-called expenditure of Rs 100 crore per year is also a myth. The staff of the BSNL has been running the telegram services too in the same customer service centres. Out of many counters for internet, mobile etc, there was one more counter for telegrams. Thus no extra staff was employed, nor anybody was going to be retrenched after stopping the telegram services. Not a single paisa was spent for the staff of telegram service alone. There was no extra maintenance charge, since it was part of the telecom services. All the telegram service centres are in departmental buildings and no rent is to be paid. In fact, more than Rs one crore was received by the management without any major expenditure.

Further, there are responsible and recognised unions representing the two and a half lakh executives and non-executive employees in the BSNL, but the management took the decision without consulting or even discussing with their unions and associations, which have great stakes in the services.

The telegram services were being provided as per the Indian Telegraph Act 1885. Any change like closure cannot be done without any amendment to the act by the parliament. The closure decision was thus completely in violation of the Indian Telegraph Act.

The Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations also said telegram is a heritage service which is still used by the people. The rush to send telegrams in the last few days clearly shows their love and nostalgia for the telegram services. The service can be continued without any extra expenditure and some profit. The decision is nothing but backing out from providing service to the people.

The Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations has therefore demanded that the government and the BSNL must rescind their decision and ensure continued telegram service to the people. The Forum thus put it figuratively: Telegrams are not dead; don’t bury the living. It will be an injustice to the nation.