The Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association (SNEA), an employees’ union of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), wants the management and the government to withdraw 128 additional Principal General Managers (PGMs) and General Managers (GMs) posted on deputation with the company.

BSNL is incurring ₹90-100 crore per year as salary and other expenses (allowances) to PGMs and GMs who are on deputation from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), it claimed. The association wants the “excess” PGMs and GMs working with BSNL Corporate Office (BSNLCO) and circle offices to be redeployed to field units for “optimum utilisation”, SNEA said in a letter to the Telecom Ministry and BSNL.

As per a Cabinet decision taken in 2013, the maximum number of PGMs and GMs to be deployed in BSNL was 293 and 199 for FY2021-22. However, there are about 425 officials on deputation with BSNL today, which is 128 more than the number permitted by the government, and this would rise to 226 by April 2021, SNEA alleged.

BSNL had reduced its own employee strength by more than 50 per cent through a voluntary retirement scheme a year ago. BSNL’s outgo of ₹90-100 crore to these “excess officers” comes at a time when the company is not able to pay its own employees’ salaries on time. SNEA has demanded senior officers on deputation also to be reduced proportionately, as per the Cabinet decision.

Unequal distribution

About 15 excess PGMs and GMs are posted at, while some major business areas with revenues of more than ₹100 crore and hundreds of employee are headless without a PGM or a GM, the association said.

“Unfortunately, the BSNL management is not utilising the senior officers on deputation from DoT as per the requirement of the company,” it said.

Further, the number of Deputy General Managers (DGMs) posted at BSNLCO is less than that of PGMs and GMs.

SNEA was also of the opinion that BSNL does not require DGM-level officers, who are also on deputation to the company, as the operator has hundreds of its own “experienced officers” to handle the job. As per the Cabinet decision, all DGM-level officials on deputation to BSNL was to be sent back to DoT by FY2021-22.

The letter, dated March 16, was addressed to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director PK Purwar, with copies to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, DoT Secretary Anshu Prakash and various officials of BSNL, among others.

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