Kingmaker Amit Shah Will Decide BSNL’s Fate?

A special GoM or Group of Minister’s panel has been set up, whose sole purpose is BSNL and MTNL’s revival.

The inclusion of Amit Shah, current Home Minister in PM Modi Govt., is seen as a masterstroke, when it comes to BSNL’s revival.

Amit Shah is a senior leader in BJP, and is often referred to as the King Maker, since his strategies and tactics helped PM Modi to win the elections twice and become PM of India for two consecutive terms.

This GoM is being headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, and it has big names such as Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among others.

This special GoM will meet in the Parliament, discuss ways to revive BSNL from its current fiasco and make it a formidable force, which it once was.

Note here, that once the new Govt. formed in May, and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took charge, the first thing he declared was that BSNL would be revived.

This formation of GoM is one of the crucial steps in this direction.

BSNL’s net loss has increased to Rs 13,000 crore in 2018-19, which includes their debt as well. The net loss was Rs 4800 crore in 2016-17, even as revenues declined to Rs 18000 crore from Rs 31,000 crore in 2016-17.

Rs 1000 Crore Assistance For BSNL?

The GoM is expected to approve a special budgetary allocation of Rs 1000 crore, for BSNL’s revival.

It is expected that Amit Shah led GoM will take some solid steps in solving the VRS and Pension issues, which are stopping the revival plans.

There are 1.65 lakh BNSL employees, and out of them, 74,000 are being targeted for VRS.

60% of the money earned by BSNL and MTNL is spent on giving salaries, and this is one big headache for the state-run telecom carrier. Infact, since last few months, BSNL had no money to pay salaries to the employees, and this causes wide-spread panic and chaos.

Now, all eyes are set on Amit Shah for helping BSNL to stand on their own feet.