<p> CIRCLE COUNCIL, STAFF SIDE, PUNJAB CIRCLE 76 SANCHAR COLONY, BRS NAGAR, BLOCK D, LUDHIANA 141012</p><p>Ref No: - Circle Council/ Punjab/14-15/1 dated at Ldh. 28-02-2014.</p><p>To</p><p>The Chairman CC& Chief General Manager Telecom, Punjab Circle, Chandigarh.</p><p>Sub: - Items for discussion in the meeting of CC Punjab.</p><p>Sir,</p><p>I am submitting herewith the list of items for discussion in the Meeting of CM Punjab. I request you to kindly arrange to fix a date for holding the meeting of CC at earliest.</p><p>Thanking you,</p><p>Yours Sincerely,</p><p>(Balbir Singh) Secretary Staff Side, Circle Council, Punjab.</p><p>Enclosure :- AA Items for discussion </p><p>1. Undue delay in settling the medical claims of staff at circle level: Kindly refer to our several discussions held with you on the subject cited above. Inspite of your assurances, no improvement is seen. We are sorry to point out that in fact the staff feels harassed a lot due to delay and non settlement of medical claim bills. In the meeting held with the GM Finance on 07- 11-2013, following decisions were taken:-</p><p>A) It was agreed upon that a workshop for the staff dealing with medical claim cases will be held at Rajpura for training of proper scrutiny and checking of the bills before forwarding to the circle office. B) It was also decided that all the medical claim cases pending since more than one month due to non reply of queries from district units will be decided at circle office. GM (Finance) issued instructions to put up all the pending cases. We are sorry to point out that no decision has been implemented. We demand the medical claim cases should be settled as per the decision already taken. C) Refusal to entertain medical claim cases in the next financial year and recovery thereof. As per the decision of BSNL Management, payment of fixed medical claims has been discontinued. The payment of medical claim bills is being made on production of vouchers only. The prescribed limit is fixed as 25 days salary + DA in a financial year. In some cases the bills of outdoor treatment crossed the prescribed limit. The official submitted the bills in the next financial year, but the same has been rejected on the plea that yearly limit has exhausted. We request you to adjust the previous financial year bills in the next financial year. </p><p>2. Non Implementation of decisions of formal meeting: Certain decisions were taken in the meeting held on 08-10-2013. The minutes of the meetings were issued on 08-10-2013. Almost six months have elapsed but no action has been taken by the administration. We demand immediate implementation of the decision taken in the meeting.</p><p>3. Non Implementation of decision taken in the Circle Council meeting held on 25-07-2012: A) Less payment of interest on refund of GPF to the BSNL recruited employees, who came under EPF scheme (Item No. 12). As per the instruction of BSNL CO. some of the BSNL recruited employees were covered under EPF scheme from GPF scheme and their GPF was refunded with interest, but in case of Bhatinda SSA, Less payment of interest has been made to the staff, as detail below :- 1. S/Shri Harjit Singh GPF A/C no. 59, Jatinder singh-60, Satish kumar-6058, Sukhbinder kaur-7032, Charanjeet Kaur-9013, Sukhveer kaur-9015, Archana-9016, Goldi-9017. The payment is still pending.</p><p>B) Inclusion of HCV (Hepatitis – C) in the chronic disease list (Item No. 2): It was decided that pending cases of wearer will be further pursued with the Headquarter. No case has been settled so far. All the cases should be settled at an earliest. </p><p>C) As per the decision taken in the last Circle Council meetings held 27-12-2011 a committee was constituted to finalize the conveyance charges to the staff engaged in installation and maintenance of Broad Band services (Item No. –7). The Committee recommended Rs. 900/- per month as conveyance charges to such staff. The committee submitted its report in the month of April 2012. The recommendations of the Committee have not been implanted so far. We demand immediate implementation of the recommendation of the committee.</p><p>4. Change of operation time of CSCs under project smile: As per the decision of corporate office the operation time for opening the category -1 CSCs was fixed as 12 hours i.e. from 0800 hours to 2000 hours. The timing is not practically feasible as the public generally starts its routine work from 0800 hours to 0900 hours in the morning. As we are aware that a number of employees are decreasing day to day due to mass retirement, so the manning the CSCs 12 hours is not possible. More over by opening the CSCs in early hours, maintenance expenditure like electricity has increased. As per the latest instruction circulated by BSNL Co. vide letter No.15- 1/2012/CS dated 25-02-2014 CGMTs have been empowered to fix the time of CSCs. We demand that the operation time of CSC’s be fixed from 0900 hours to 1900 hours.</p><p>5. Supply of copy of Service book to the retiring employees: At present the retiring employees are not being supplied the copy of service book prior to retirement. Many difficulties are being experienced by the employees due to non supply of copy of service book. If the employee is provided with copy of service book he may check his service records and if any discrepancy is found he my get it corrected in time. So we request that as a staff welfare measure each retiring employee should be provided the copy of his service book one year prior to his retirement.</p><p>6. Provision of facility of dialling mobile levels other than 94 on mobile connection provided to the Telecom Mechanics/ Regular Mazdoors: The facility of pre-paid SIM with a talk time of Rs. 200 /- per month was extended to Telecom Mechanics/Regular Mazdoors who undertake outdoor duties and select non-executives on the basis of functional needs vide BSNL corporate office letter number 2-22/202-PHA dated 16-1-2012, Circular number 04/2011-PHA. This facility was extended to evolve a mechanism to improve the quality of service. You are aware that a large number of customers are having mobile/ telephone numbers of private operators. The field staff is facing difficulty due to non-availability of facility of dialling other levels. The BSNL is a leader in providing Broadband connections in the market. The field staff when goes out to rectify the telephone/ broadband faults have to contact the subscriber so many times over his mobile. But due to non-availability of facility to dial the other levels, it becomes difficult for them to contact the subscribers. So, it is very much necessary to extend the facility of dialling other networks so that the customers of other levels can be contacted. We are very much aware that the BSNL has to pay a huge amount as interconnectivity charges to other companies. But at the same time, improvement in services is also necessary. The talk value of Rs. 200 /- per month is very limited. So far as the interconnectivity usages are concerned, our staff can make the payment beyond the limit of Rs. 200 /- per month. Moreover, in case of executives, the facility to dial all the levels with the condition that the executive will make the payment beyond prescribed limit. We demand to extend this facility to the field staff on the terms and conditions of executives.</p><p>7. Visibility of BSNL: The trend of aggressive marketing to sell the products of companies is going on. All the FMCG companies including service sector companies like telecom companies are in the race of branding their products and names of the companies. A fierce competition in telecom companies is going on. In such scenario visibility of companies is must. In case of BSNL due attention is not being given for visibility of BSNL & its products. Very attractive plans are introduced in pre-paid mobile segment but publicity of the plans is limited to BSNL offices/ websites. Funds for marketing the BSNL products are allotted but not utilized. We demand that steps for visibility of BSNL and marketing should be initiated.</p><p>8. Disconnection of land line & Broad Band: A very high rate of disconnection of land line and broad band connections has been reported by the field units. Land line & Broad band are the back bone of BSNL & main source of income. No doubt we leg behind in GSM segment and we are at number 5 with market share around 12%but in land line & broad band BSNL is still market leader with considerable market share. The trend of negative growth and high disconnection of land line & broad band is very serious. It is observed that the high disconnection in this segment is due to delay in rectification of faults. The maintenance of land line & broad band in most of the districts is outsourced and the contractors had damaged our cable net work. The availability of good pairs is very less. Suitable measures to retain the land line and broad band connection should be taken. Our esteemed customers require special attention. Corporate office has issued instructions vide letter No.3-4/2012- R&C (CFA) & Circular No. R&C –CFA No-69/13-14 dated 06-12-2013 to replace the clip instruments of free of cost of those customers, whose average six monthly paid bills of landline including BB Plan/Combo plan is more than Rs. 5000-00 /-. Instructions should be implemented. Suitable mechanism to speed up fault clearing work should be evolved. Another reason for disconnection is shortage of line staff. As we are aware that large number of employees is retiring from service. So providing efficient services has become difficult. We demand helpers with telecom mechanics several times but to not avail. In the coming days shortage of staff will increase due to large number of retirement. We also know that ban has been imposed on recruitment in erstwhile DOT and BSNL since 1983. The DOT absorbed employees in BSNL have crossed the age of 50 year , hence it has become difficult for them to execute the enhanced workload efficiently. Suitable measures should be taken to provide efficient service to our esteem customers.</p><p>9. Utilization of FTTH network: It is learnt that OFC cable for provision of FTTH connections has been laid throughout the Punjab at cost of around Rs. 200 Crores but the utilization of the same is negligible. The number of FTTH is connection is in hundreds only. Suitable action plan should be chalked out for expansion of FTTH services. 10. Grace marks in JTO LICE: Limited Internal Competitive Examination for the promotion to the cadre of JTO (T) under 35 % & 15 % quota was held on June, 02, 2013 in Punjab Circle. Result of the exam was declared on 1 st Feb, 2014. No doubt the number of successful candidates is considerable but in the meantime some of the candidates in the exam could not clear the exam for want of 0.3 to 2 marks. Sufficient number of vacancies is available. We demand that sufficient grace marks be given to adjust those candidates. We would like to intimate that considerable grace marks have been given in HP circle.</p><p>11. Sale of unserviceable stores to generate revenue: Unserviceable store including telegraph line poles, MARR towers, dismantled telephone Exchanges, Power plants, telephone line poles, damaged cables, batteries, old furniture, old telephone directories, scrapped vehicles, AC’s etc are lying almost in all the districts. The same should be disposed off immediately to generate revenue for BSNL.</p><p>12. Supply of Uniform items: Uniform items to the eligible staff have not been supplied since the last three years in Punjab circle. Immediate supply of uniform items should be ensured.</p><p>13. Control over expenditure: As we are aware that BSNL is passing through difficult times and its revenue is declining day by day. In such circumstances it is very necessary to arrest the unnecessary expenditure. For example in Ludhiana SSA Rs. 15 Lac per month is being spent on the night watchmen. This expenditure can be minimized by providing patrolling system. One vehicle with one gunman and security man can be engaged for security of exchanges by clubbing nearby exchanges. This team will visit the earmarked exchanges. This step can save around Rs. 10 Lac per month in one District only. If the uniform policy is adopted in Punjab circle a considerable amount can be saved.</p><p>14. Grace marks to the candidate appeared in the LDCE for the promotion to the cadre of Telecom Mechanic: The above said exam was held on 11 august 2013 in Punjab Circle. 66 candidates appeared in the exam. Out if 66 candidates only one candidate was declared successful. The paper was of very high standard and tough. Grace marks to the candidates should be granted.</p><p>15. Training /workshops for non-executives staff in new technology: Training to executive staff is being given from time to time in BSNL but the same is not being given to the non-executives. Sharp Technological changes are being taking place in routine. BSNL is also introducing new technologies to streamline the work. Recently ERP has been introduced in BSNL. We demand that training of all the new technologies being introduced in BSNL should be given to selected non-executive staff.</p><p>16. Non Compliance of minimum wages and social security measures like EPF and ESI etc. In respect of contract labour. The maintenance work, housekeeping work has been out sourced almost in all the circles and districts of BSNL. It has been noticed that the contractors are not implementing the instructions issued by corporate office as well as circle office. The contractors are making mockery of these instructions in connivance with some of the BSNL officers. It has been noticed that EPF and Labour Departments are implicating BSNL as principal employer for defaults of contractors. Corporate office is taking this issue very seriously to avoid unnecessary litigation. Recently corporate office has issued instructions for implementation of prevailing labour Law vide letter no BSNL / Admn. I/29-5/2007(Pt.) dated 06 feb. 2014. There is great resentment among the contract labour as the contactors are not even paying the minimum wages to the labour. This resentment also effects the efficiency of contract labour hence services are also being affected. We demand that strict action against the contractors who are violating the labour laws should be taken and strict instructions for implementation of labour laws should be issued to avoid any litigation. </p><p>------</p>