BSNL synergising operations with MTNL

May 19, 2011 10:53 pm | Updated August 23, 2016 01:04 am IST - NEW DELHI:

New Delhi, 19/05/2011: Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL flanked by Raman Srivastava, Director General, Border Security Force (BSF) and R K Bhatia, Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) (right), during the launch of two special tariff plans for officers of paramilitary forces and benefit 9 lakh jawans serving the nation at high altitutes and remote areas during a press conference in New Delhi. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

New Delhi, 19/05/2011: Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL flanked by Raman Srivastava, Director General, Border Security Force (BSF) and R K Bhatia, Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) (right), during the launch of two special tariff plans for officers of paramilitary forces and benefit 9 lakh jawans serving the nation at high altitutes and remote areas during a press conference in New Delhi. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

Newly-appointed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) Chairman and Managing Director R. K. Upadhyay on Thursday said his company was working together with state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) to streamline their businesses so that both organisations benefited from it.

“Synergies are being worked out and we would not wait for the whole lot of list to be worked out. As things come in our mind we will look at it (services). We will see that it will benefit both organisations without violating any TRAI norms besides benefiting customers,” Mr. Upadhyay told journalists here at the launch of special tariff plans for para-military forces.

Notably, the Centre is keen on merging BSNL and MTNL so that the functioning of the two loss-making telecom companies could be streamlined and their operating costs reduced. It will also help them provide pan-India services as MTNL operators only in Delhi and Mumbai. Recently, the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) had recommended that BSNL should merge with MTNL to help turnaround the loss-making telecom giant.

In 2009-10, BSNL reported a loss of Rs.1,823 crore while its revenue stood at Rs.32,046 crore, while MTNL's net loss in 2010-11 stood at Rs.2,826 crore, up 8.27 per cent from Rs.2,610.90 crore in 2009-10. Its total income rose to Rs.3,841.20 crore from Rs.3,781 crore in 2009-10. In 2005-06, BSNL had reported a net profit of over Rs.10,000 crore.

Talking about the new scheme, he said the two plans would offer para-military personnel free talk-time for 20 minutes on any two BSNL numbers throughout the country. This facility will be available free of cost even on roaming. Apart from this, the new plan will offer reduced calling charges of 20 paise per minute on any two BSNL numbers, be it mobile or landline for the jawans.

BSNL also announced an economical package for the personnel at fixed monthly charges of Rs.99, under which a paramilitary personnel can make calls at one paisa per second pulse besides other freebies. Under the plan for officers, they can avail themselves of unlimited free calls to any BSNL numbers within a circle.

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