e-Magazine of SNEA Chennai telephonesJanuary 2008

Down Load this e-Magazine from our Web Site www. bsnleach.tripod.com

“All time and space have become auspicious

To think of the inauspicious is inauspicious

The light one holds has removed the night

One does not even know what night is

Pleasure is no different from painEven strokes of misfortune will bring

gainSays Tuka, every living thing

Is now my blessing”[From‘SaysTuka’-Selected Poems of

Tukaram]Congrats Comrades on Your Promotion !

Com G L Jogi , our GS recently announced at Chennai that promotion orders from SDE to DE and JTO to SDE will be issued very soon. The orders have been released on 19th December 2007. All our Chennai comrades posted locally

List of SDEs promotedName StyNoN Jayapal 7879M Ganesan 7880P S Balachandran 7890S Lakshmanan 7914S Kalyani 7919K Jayabalaguru 7941A Thirumalai 7957K C Krishnamurthy 8038S Sheik Gulam Khader

8089

R Rajendran 8105PS Krishnan 8276L Sundararaman 8412V Vijayaraghavan 8421V Raghunathan 8423Rajam Achutha 8425K M Rajkumar 8429R KrithikaKrishnan 8431

List of SDEs promoted contd..Name StyNoV Venkatesan 8501G Sowrirajan 8587M Abdulbari 8588B S Balambal 8589A Selvanathan 8620Mohandoss 8632/C Sundaram 8632/A Thiagarajan 8632/S Moorthy 8632/G Reghunathkumar 8632/C Viswanathan 8632/K Sankaralingam 8632/P Gangadharana 8632/P ranganathan 8632/V Srikumar 8735R Kannan 8771R Gopalan 8772A Xavier 8774

D Natarajan 8462T S Viswanathan 8470J Visalam 8487

List of SDEs promoted contd..Name StyNoA Appandairajan 8839C Ganesan 8860K Chandrasekaran 8917G Boopathy 9018

S Lakshmanan 8794K Mohanasundaram 8817

List of JTOs promotedName StNoA Rajendra 203532S Murugesa Reddy 203611E Priya 203650StyNo:SeniorityNo/StNo:Staff No

Read ‘Spectrum Wars or Looting the Exchequer?’ By Prabir Purkayastha Page 7

Communications Made1.Redeployment of Surplus Staff

Lr No SNEA(I)/Chennai/Redeployment/1 dated 23rd December 2007

To General Manager (Operations), BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Respected Sir,

Sub: Redeployment of Surplus Staff - Reg Ref : Your DO Lr No GM(O)/Staff Matters/2007-2008 dated 5th Dec 2007

We are also aware of the need to address the issue of redeployment of staff (both executives and also non executives). In respect of the executives, it is proposed to form a committee which will go into the issue thoroughly and will suggest ways and means for redeployment. In order to enable the committee with necessary inputs regarding existing staff norms, existing deployment pattern, it is requested that the following data may be supplied. The norms in respect of JTO/SDE/DE for various fields including latest new services The existing deployment pattern viz. Number of JTO/SDE/DE working in various units/areas The number of landlines/GSM Connections unit/area wise Management Perception of the Issue and plan of action proposed

We will come back to you very soon with our suggestions based on the recommendations of the committee, so that they can be discussed in the meeting to be held with the management to resolve the issue of redeployment.

Assuring of our best cooperation. Yours sincerely,

Copy to S Venkataraman The Chief General Manager, Circle Secretary BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Page 2

2. Suggestions on Formation of Joint Forum

Lr No SNEA(I)/Chennai/JtForum/1 dated 23rd Dec’ 2007

To General Manager (Operations), BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Respected Sir,Sub: Suggestions on Formation of Joint Forum - Reg Ref : Your Lr No ASR/Joint Forum/2007-2008/Corr dated 14th Dec’ 2007

We welcome the proposal of Management on formation of Joint Forum with representatives from all the applicant unions and also with representatives from the Executives’ Associations. As done in Karnataka periodical coordination meetings at Divisional Level at regular intervals will also help improve staff relation and provide necessary impetus to growth of BSNL.

As suggested by SNEA(I) Chennai in the Social Conference of Gathering of Opinion Leaders which was held at Hall Of Inspiration on 3rd October 2007 we have included in the Agenda of our First Circle Executive Committee’s Meeting on 17th November 2007 an item on Financial Viability ‘Broadband is the Future of BSNL – Challenges To be Met’. You have also graced the occasion by your valuable presence and you have addressed and heard our members. We shall continue to allot considerable time during our future CEC meets also to discuss the issues concerning the interests of BSNL.

In West Bengal the Management invites Representatives of Trade Unions and Executives’ Associations to participate in the Development Meetings which helps them to understand the focus and the efforts required to achieve the targets so that they can effectively campaign among their members to actively involve themselves to achieve the targets within the time frame. This can be followed in Chennai Telephones also.

You may be aware that already a Joint Forum consisting of all non executives’ unions and executives’ associations is functioning in Chennai. This Joint Forum is the coordinating body to take up the common issues in the interest of BSNL. It is also well known that under the banner of Joint Forum at CHQ Level only, very recently, the issue of procurement of GSM equipments was given necessary thrust and focus.

Assuring of our best cooperation.Yours sincerely,

Copy to S Venkataraman The Chief General Manager, Circle Secretary BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Page 3

3. Request for a Meeting with CGM to discuss pending issues

Lr No SNEA(I)/Chennai/Meeting with CGM/1 dated 23rd Dec’ 2007

To The Chief General Manager, BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Respected Sir,Sub: Request for a Meeting with CGM to discuss pending

issues- Reg

We request you kindly to indicate a convenient date for a meeting with the representatives of SNEA(I) Chennai Telephones to discuss the following items at the earliest Delay in taking decision to launch new schemes due to delay in approval by Finance wing making BSNL as late starter Procurement of GSM Equipments for Chennai Finalisation of Cable Laying Contract Delay in Renewal of Imprest amount every quarter adversely affecting maintenance works Posting accounts personnel for Cash Collection at CSCs Posting of JTOs in CSCs for helping subscribers in dealing with configuration issues Inordinate delay in Settlement of Medical Claims in case of In patient Treatment leading to empanelled hospitals refusing treatment to staff Empanelment of Reputed Hospitals for In Patient treatment for better health care to staff Denial of New CGHS Cards to CGHS Optees of BSNL and CGHS refusal to treat BSNL staff from January 2008 as an ultimatum Extension of HRA on par with Chennai to Maraimalai Nagar, Minjur and allied areas to strengthen manpower and to improve growth of BSNL in these areas Unjustified recovery of Penal Interest from executives on Temporary Advance Repayment of deposits paid by GE JTOs Delay in issuance of EPF balance sheets to GE JTOs TTA to JTO Officiating Fixation – Non Settlement

Assuring of our best cooperation,

Yours sincerely,

Copy to S Venkataraman The General Manager (Operations), Circle Secretary BSNL Chennai Telephones. Chennai.

Page 4

CGM Launches New GSM Services

E2 to E3 Training at RTTC Chennai

RTTC Chennai ,BRABRAITT and

Sri M P Velusamy our CGM, on 29th December 2007

launched new bundled offer in GSM at a function organised by M/s Digibee Microsystems, the manufacturers of

the new cell equipment G-200CF. Cobranding of Cell instruments along with GSM service provider has become the latest trend followed by many manufacturing companies. The bundled offer comes with a new handset with BSNL brand name embedded along with BSNL Mobile SIMM card for Rs1499 TVS Electronics undertakes the servicing responsibility of the instrument. The scheme launched recently in Bangalore was a grand success. The features of the bundle are Slim Colour Phone Stylish Look 16 Channel Polyphonic, MIDI

Ringtones Call Back List Phone Book 250 Nos FM radio Secret SMS [New Feature] BSNL SIMM Card Free Activation Free Rs 100 talk time free every

month for 15 months Handset Offer Price rs 1499 Servicing by TVS Electronics

Our Franchisees attended the event and assured our CGM of selling 1000 sets per day

RTTC Kalyani will henceforth share the load of training by regular conduction of training batches in respect of mandatory training on E2 to E3 time bound promotion of executives. Orders to this effect have been issued on 27th

December 2007 by ALTTC. This has been achieved due to the efforts taken by SNEA(I) at RTTC branch/Circle and CHQ. In this regard we have to thank our CGM who on our request took up the issue effectively. Our comrades, especially lady comrades will be benefited much since they need not go to Ghaziabad leaving the family for two weeks for this mandatory training.

Organisational Activities

Com M K Veerapandian ACS, Com S Gunasekaran AS(N) and Com K Arumugam OS(N) met DGM KAL and discussed with him problems in North area on 10/12/07 Com B Karunanidhi OS(W) took up the issue of posting Accounts personnel for KKN CSC with DGM KKN on 11/12/07 Our CS along with Com B Srinivasan VP, Com C Oli ACS, Com M K Veerapandian ACS, Com B Karunanidhi OS(W) and Com S Sundararajan CWC Mem. attended the Divisional meeting of Thiruvellore branch on 28th

December 2007

Circle Office Bearers Meet 22/12/2007

The Circle Office Bearers of

Page 5Committees For Redeployment

First Committee to study the

SNEA(I) Chennai met on 22/12/2007 at SNEA Bhavan and discussed the following items.1. CS Meet at Hyderabad2. Redeployment3. Formation of Joint Forum4. Items for meeting with CGM Apart from the above items subscription/donation review was done. The need to prepare membership list was highlighted. Cooperation from all DS sought. Two separate committees were formed to study the redeployment issue in detail and to suggest ways and means. Members are requested to send their suggestions to the Committee.

landline Intl/Extl, Broadband Extl

Com V Sundar ChairmanCom C Oli ACSCom S Gunasekaran AS (N)Com S Ganesan AS (S)Com A Shanmuga Sundararajan AS (C)

Second Committee to study all other services viz Planning, GSM, Transmission, Mktg

Com B Srinivasan VP ChairmanCom S Sundararajan CWC Mem.Com S Manoharan AS GSMCom P Charles AS Mktg/TXMCom B Balamurugan OS

All Divisonal Secreataries to Note

Please update your Membership List and hand over a copy to Circle Organisation

Please be in Constant Communication with Your Area Secretaries / Organising Secretaries

Please maintain Constant Communication with our General Members

Please Collect Monthly Subscription regularly and Remit Quota to Circle TreasurerH Ramagopalan Circle Treasurer SNEA (I) ChennaiJTO OCB Internal K K Nagar Tele Exge

Office 24710123

Res 24716868

Cell 9444996868

SNEA(I) Technical Handbook cum Diary 2008

Now Readily AvailableHave You Ordered?.

Place Your Orders Immediately Collect the Diary

Contact H RamagopalanCircle Treasurer SNEA (I) Chennai

Circle Secretaries and CHQ Office Bearers of SNEA(I) will meet at Hyderabad on 7th January 2008.

Combined Meeting of CHQ and CSs of all Constituents of United Forum of Executives’ Associations will be held on 8th January 2008

Page 6

Do you Know BSNL’s New Brands

------------------------------------------------------------ A new promotional plan called “BSNL Wonder Plan” with 7 years

validity under prepaid cellular services is launched in Chennai Telephones w. e. f.  22nd Dec 2007 for a period of 39 days  up to 29th Jan 2008

Spectrum Wars or Looting the Exchequer?

The spectrum wars have got curious and curiouser. The Department of Telecom and the Minister have tied themselves in knots on how to allocate new licenses and spectrum. Having talked of a first-come first-served system, the date of first-come is now being changed. To make it worse, Reliance Infocomm, who it might be remembered received a mobile license after violating its WLL license, has jumped the queue of 575 new license applicants and secured GSM license and additional spectrum on the specious plea that as they have a CDMA license, they should be given a cross-over license for GSM. In the battle between the CDMA and GSM operators, a lot of skeletons in the closet have tumbling out, as each sides expose what the other side has done. Missing in all the spectrum wars is the consumer, with the PM also talking of how the telecom sector can help in filling the national exchequer.What is spectrum and why is it important for mobile telephony? Wireless signals need frequency bands which it utilises for transferring information. Any wireless signal can be made to carry information – the radio stations use certain frequencies to bring us voice broadcasts that we can listen to by tuning into those frequencies. The mobile telephony also uses wireless signals and does this tuning transparently for us. But behind the voice we hear in our mobile handset, is a wireless network that uses radio waves to transmit the voice. That is why turning the mobile handset to an FM radio is quite simple

Spectrum wars or Looting the Exchequer? Contd…

By Prabir PurkayasthaThe problem of using the wireless frequencies or the frequency spectrum is that only a part of the total frequency spectrum can be used for mobile telephony. The international body, ITU decides the frequency band that is to be used for different services. If we want the hand sets and the switching equipment to be kept as global standards, we need to also allocate the same frequencies here for similar services. That means that there is limited spectrum available for any service – it is not an unlimited resource that can be given to anybody and everybody.The question of spectrum was not important when the mobile services started in the country. The initial licenses that were given had the spectrum – called the start-up spectrum – bundled with it. The initial metro licenses were given away virtually at a pittance. The market value of these licenses are astronomical todayIn the next round, the licenses again had the star-up frequency bundled with it. It was also mandated that all mobile services should be based on GSM technology. Though large license fees were promised, after securing the license, the private players all wriggled out of paying the license fees and went into a revenue sharing arrangement, courtesy the NDA Government ruling then. The loss to the exchequer was of the order of Rs. 40,000 crore. After the change to a revenue sharing regime, the freebies for the GSM operators did not stop.

Page 7By Prabir Purkayastha

From the initial 4.4 MHz of start-up frequency, they now hold about 10 MHz each without paying any extra spectrum feesThe initial mobile rates were very kept artificially high, even though the license fees were now no longer there and the capital cost per line was a fraction of the cost of installing landlines. There was virtually no license fee, no spectrum fee and only some money to be paid to the exchequer as a revenue share; this was cushy times for the GSM operators, who raked in the money with high call rates. It was only after BSNL and MTNL were allowed to provide and other operators coming in with Wireless in the local loop (WLL) did costs for mobile services come down. It was at this time CDMA technology was also accepted and CDMA licenses were also issued. This led to the explosive growth of telecom we are seeing today. Before the Government and the private operators claim the credit for this, the history of cartels, high call rates and a compliant TRAI must also be remembered. DoT’s role is supposed to be one of setting the policy, while administering the license is TRAI’s responsibility. TRAI however has taken very little interest in enforcing license terms and conditions, which have been openly flouted by private operators. One such violation is not providing rural land lines as decreed under the license for basic services. The other is violating the long distance call rates by routing such calls to a local number and then pretending this to be a local call. Reliance has been caught on this and has got off with a rap on the knuckles. Similarly, Reliance also violated its WLL license to provide mobile services, for which it was again given a light penalty. However, administering the licensed is TRAI’s job, even though the Minister and the Department of Telecom routinely claim it is their sphere.

Spectrum wars or Looting the Exchequer? Contd…

In other words, this would mean the

The current controversy is regarding new licenses and ward of spectrum for the new entrants as well as the existing operators. In view of TRAI and also the PM, there should be no restriction on new entrants. From what the PM has said, it also appears that he is in favour of an auction in allocating both the spectrum and new licencesThe problem here is that mobile voice services have seen an explosive growth only because the call rates have been brought down drastically. If we auction the spectrum and the licenses, we would increase the cost to the subscriber as it will be recovered from the subscriber through higher call charges. As the spectrum is a finite resource, an unlimited number of licences with fixed license fees would lead to a problem of how to allocate a limited bandwidth to any number of players. . It is this issue that has the Ministry tied up completely in knots. They want any number of operators, do not want to auction the license or the spectrum. So what could be the mechanism? The Ministry has some criteria of First come first served basis of giving licenses. Apart from being an extremely poor way of giving out limited resources, the Ministry has further compounded it by letting Reliance Infocomm not only jump the queue by offering it a “cross-over” license but also free spectrum. If the rest of the licenses are given now on a first come first served basis, this would lead to real esate developers (Parsnath Builders, DLF) and stock broking companies (India Bulls) also securing telecom licenses, presumably for the purpose of re-selling their licenses (or their companies). A number of the 575 companies in the license queue are known to be dummy corporations, and the purpose is to make windfall profits by securing the licenses and later selling them at a high price.

Page 8The regulator should be given a mandate to work out the economic value of the spectrum and how it can be indexed to

subsidy in 2G of keeping the license fee and spectrum costs low would be actually go not to the subscribers but to those entities who resell these at high prices. Or to companies such as Reliance, who are allowed entry into the GSM sector with again a double subsidy – jumping the queue and free start-up spectrumThe GSM operators, who have been screaming blue murder at all these shenanigans, are also hiding the fact that they are either hoarding spectrum or making very inefficient use of it. Their spectrum utilisation is way below comparable global standards. The dropped calls, and frequent saturation of the network is due to not investing in more cells and other network equipment. What they hope is that if the CDMA operators, so close to the heart of the Telecom Ministry, is given various concessions, if they make enough noise, the telecom Ministry will buy them off also with some further concessionsIf we take the issue of keeping GSM and CDMA costs low for the subscriber low for the 2 G segment, and not allow this intended subsidy to generate windfall profits for the license holder, then the regulatory regime that needs to be put in place will require to be much stronger. Otherwise, any scheme that does not choose the auction route will lead to inevitably windfall profits for the promoters of these telecom companies at the expense of the public exchequer and the subscribers. The current model that the Minister is favouring including the cross over license to Reliance Infocomm is the worst of both worlds. It keeps the entry cost and the spectrum cost low while allowing huge speculative gains to be made by the promoters who receive such licenses. Neither is the PMO’s argument of unrestricted entry and auction appropriate for 2G as this would inevitably jack up the call rates for the subscriber.

rising revenues. Instead of a one time fee, the spectrum price can be calibrated to the profits and revenues that these companies would be making. The TRAI should also work out strict norms and market restrictions for transfer of shares or mergers/acquisition of these companies. The spectrum that the companies have received gratis, needs to be costed and this cost realised for the future. Otherwise, this is a “hidden” asset for existing license holders. A 2G spectrum cost should be set by TRAI and any allocation should be based on criteria TRAI that TRAI should fix taking into account the cost of the spectrum and the efficiency of its utilisation. In no case should additional spectrum be given to existing operators without fulfilling this criteria and paying the additional spectrum charges. It is unfortunate that existing GSM mobile players have been given additional spectrum free, when it is not only a limited resource but has obvious market value. A proper enquiry should be conducted on who was responsible for giving away spectrum free. Those who have got the spectrum free should either vacate this or be asked to pay its price. No hoarding of spectrum should be allowed.The Government’s decision to allow Reliance to jump the queue for GSM services and give it free spectrum is further loot of public resources. The Government seems going out of the way to favour CDMA players now after having favoured the GSM players earlier. As far the public is concerned, both set of favours are at the expense of the public and this mode of giving away spectrum free is nothing but allowing the continued loot of the exchequer. Therefore, the spectrum and licenses given to BSNL and MTNL should continue in order to promote public good and curb profiteering

Page 9List of Recognised Hospitals under BSNL MRS - as on 20-12-2007

SLNO NAME OF HOSPITAL Rates agreed Approved

room rentREMARKS AS ON 20-

12-2007

1K.J.HOSPITAL

927, POONAMALLEE HIGH ROAD,

CHENNAI - 600 084.

Revised CGHS rates/package

charges

GEN.WARD Rs. 500

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 1000 PVT NON AC RS.

1500

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

2

NATIONAL HOSPITAL 2 JAFFER SERANG

STREET, II BEACH LANE ,

CHI-1

Revised CGHS rates/package

charges

GEN.WARD Rs. 500

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 1000 PVT NON AC RS.

1500

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

3

MIOT HOSPITAL 4/112 MOUNT

POONAMALLEE ROAD, NANDAMBAKKAM, CHENNAI -600 089

Revised CGHS rates/package

charges

GEN.WARD Rs. 500

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 1000 PVT NON AC RS.

1500

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

4

DR. AGARWAL'S EYE HOSPITAL LTD., 19, CATHEDRAL

ROAD, CHENNAI - 600 086

Revised CGHS rates/package

charges

GEN.WARD Rs. 500

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 1000 PVT

NON AC RS. 1500

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

5

B M HOSPITAL 36 5TH MAIN ROAD,

THILLAI GANGA NAGAR,

CHENNAI - 600061.

Revised CGHS rates/package charges with

out any discount, but with reduced

room rent

GEN.WARD Rs. 225

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 375 PVT

NON AC RS. 825

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

6

KHM HOSPITAL AB-14, 6TH MAIN

ROAD, B5, ANNA NAGAR

WEST CHENNAI-600 040

Revised CGHS rates/package charges with

out any discount, but with reduced

room rent

GEN.WARD Rs. 350

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 700 PVT NON AC RS.

1100

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

7

SRINIVAS PRIYA HOSPITAL (P) LTD., 106, PATEL ROAD,

PERAMBUR, CHENNAI - 600 011

Revised CGHS rates/package charges with

out any discount, but with reduced

room rent

GEN.WARD Rs. 200

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 375 PVT

NON AC RS. 700 PVT A/C RS.1200

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

8

RSR TRINITY ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL

33, DESIKACHARI ROAD,

MYLAPORE, CHENNAI - 600004

Revised CGHS rates/package charges with

out any discount, but with reduced

room rent

GEN.WARD Rs. 350

SEMI PVT WARD RS. 700 PVT NON AC RS.

1200

EXTENDED FOR ONE

YEAR FROM 20-12-2007

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