The government has set up a group of ministers (GOM) to look into the matter of reviving and revitalising loss-making public sector units Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigma Ltd (MTNL).
The ministerial panel will include the finance minister P Chidambaram, telecom minister Kapil Sibal, commerce minister Anand Sharma, law minister Ashwini Kumar, and the deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The GOM will submit its report in three months. India gets apps happyAbout a couple of weeks ago, Sibal had sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention for reviving the public sector undertakings (PSUs)
In a letter to Singh, Sibal has pointed out that the two companies are under so much financial stress that MTNL’s networth has completely eroded, which BSNL is expected to make losses of R10,000 crore during 2012-13.
“Due to change in business environment and hyper competition in the telecommunications market, financial positions of BSNL and MTNL has deteriorated in last three to four years. Although the results for fiscal year 2012-13 have not yet been declared, I expect the networth of MTNL to have been completely eroded. BSNL is expected to make a loss in the range of Rs 10,000 crore in the current fiscal,” Sibal said in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}“Due to change in business environment and hyper competition in the telecommunications market, financial positions of BSNL and MTNL has deteriorated in last three to four years. Although the results for fiscal year 2012-13 have not yet been declared, I expect the networth of MTNL to have been completely eroded. BSNL is expected to make a loss in the range of Rs 10,000 crore in the current fiscal,” Sibal said in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}Suggesting that a group of ministers (GoM) should be constituted for reviving the two PSUs, Sibal said that “Unless immediate measures are taken to revive and revitalise these PSUs, they would turn sick shortly.”
He has also sought financial support from the government for reviving the two PSUs. “Immediate action together with financial support would be required to put these PSUs back on track.”