Even as the public sector undertakings stand embittered by fledgling revenues, the celebrations marking the Narendra Modi Government’s three-year-old milestone has been entrusted with certain PSUs in different parts of the country.
BSNL, the telecom PSU has been vested with the responsibility of marking the milestone in five regions in Tamil Nadu. BSNL is vested with organising these events in 54 regions across the country, says an official source. Orders were issued by the corporate office.
In Tamil Nadu, Hosur is among the five regions, where the events are being organised by BSNL.
In Hosur, the event Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas – to mark the three-year milestone is organised by the BSNL, and the logistics is being worked out by the local party unit. The event will be attended by the Union Minister for Labour Affairs Bandari Dattatreya on June 5.
On Friday, the lines between the party heading the Centre and the country’s telecom PSU blurred, as BJP functionaries converged at the BSNL’s conference hall here to hash out the preparations to mark the milestone, with the general manager of BSNL and three Deputy general managers here, and BSNL staff.
This responsibility will only hurt the PSUs embittered by fledgling revenues, says a BSNL source, who attended the meeting. Only recently, the loss-making PSUs were given an ultimatum to “perform or perish” albeit in the context of steel PSUs by the Centre.
While the local BJP will organise the crowd for attendance, BSNL is responsible to fund the event, including booking of the venue, and food for an estimated 2,500 people here on Monday.
At first, an expensive wedding hall was proposed for the venue. However, the venue was shifted to another wedding hall in order to make it visible and accessible to the public. When financial viability of PSU is constantly put to test by the government, vesting PSUs with the responsibility of the events has not gone down well with the BSNL staff.
There is a clear distinction between a government department and a public sector unit whose mandate is to make profit, BSNL source said. “The BSNL employees are not given any allowances, or support for organising sim card melas for business expansion to counter the well endowed private service providers. However, we are asked to bear this cost,” said the source.
The local BJP unit is making the arrangements including flex boards, flags, cut-outs and the expenditure will be borne by the PSU. ‘For all purposes, it is a party event, but the bill will be footed by the BSNL. They will give the quotations for flex boards, flags, cut-outs etc,” said the official source.
Speaking to The Hindu , Venkatraman, General Manager, Vellore region, in charge of Hosur region, said, the job of the BSNL was to showcase the achievements of the government. “The government has asked various PSUs to organise Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, in various regions of the country. Here BSNL is organising the event and is bearing the expenditure for it.”
