Every thing around BSNL the telecom major are in a shambles. At a time when the HR of the cash strapped company must be acting as well-oiled and retrofitted lot ,slogging through the bitter and bruising battle for existence, a gruesome and deeply disconcerting news has come from Gaziabad. Mr Sukendra Pal ,the secretary of an employees union in BSNL died under mysterious circumstances at the Raj Nagar District Centre (RDC). The word in the street is that he has been beaten to death by the henchmen of a GM (Mr.Adesh Kumar)at the latter's office. The sequence of events led to a slanging match between the stake holders. The diseased it was reported has questioned the unholy economic intrigues between the officer and the contractors which in its natural turn exasperated the officer ending up in cold blooded murder. Post Morten reports point to the injury he has suffered on the head. The ghastly murder stands out in its sheer scale of hideousness and is the first in the annals of the Department.
The family of the BSNL union leader Sukhvinder Pal, who died at the Raj Nagar District Centre on October 22, has demanded a CBI probe into the matter and transfer of the case to Delhi.
"My father's murder was the result of a strong nexus of the top brass and contractors of BSNL," alleged the victim's son, Rohan. "We have lost hope of getting justice in Uttar Pradesh, so we have written letters to the PMO, NHRC and Uttar Pradesh CM demanding transfer of the case to Delhi and a full-fledged investigation by the CBI," he added.
Times Of India quotes the Station Officer of Kavi Nagar police station, Sudhir Tyagi as saying , that there were two injury marks on the deceased's body — one on the head and the second below his eyes. He said "We have received complaints from both the parties. We have registered an FIR against the GM and four others under Sections 302, 147, 148 and 149, while on the basis of the GM's complaint another FIR has been registered under Section 332 and other sections of IPC." The exact cause of death could be established only after getting the results of further examination of the viscera .
INS reports quoting Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Kumar that Sukhendra Pal the diseased had been called on Monday morning by the BSNL general manager (GM) for some work-related discussion, which apparently went awry and resulted in the union leader's death. Report also says that in his blatant negation,the GM, Adesh Kumar Gupta, charged that Sukhendra Pal barged into his office, hit him on his face, tore his clothes and ransacked the office furniture.In the meantime, security guards came in and dragged Sukhendra Pal away. He scuffled with the guards and in a fit of rage, collapsed on the staircase.
The Employees Union(BSNLEU) claimed that the GM was outraged as it had earlier submitted a written complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission flagging “corrupt practices” in the branch, following which there had been a series of transfers of its members and the union had been asked to vacate its office.
The artists of violence are missing and are away from the reach out of the police even after 4 weeks have passed since the grueling episode.As the authorities grope in the dark ,the employees are on a country wide stir to book the accused.BSNL Employees Union conducted a massive rally at Ghaziabad, condemning the police and also demanding the immediate arrest of Adesh Kumar Gupta, GM, BSNL Ghaziabad, and other accused persons. More than 1500 comrades participated in the rally from each and every SSA of UP (West) Circle and also from the neighboring Haryana Circle.
Three lakh executive and non-executive employees of DoT were absorbed in BSNL when it was formed in October 2000. But the 1,600 ITS officers who hold top management posts in BSNL opted out and were allowed to continue with government status on deputation for five years in BSNL.The time limit expired in 2005. They still cling on the deputation except a very few despite four chances given to get absorbed in BSNL.
The mindless killing has been staged when the BSL is floundering and mangled by myriads of problems contributed by its own internal choes in the administration, widening the deep seated trust deficit between the officers and employees of the organization. The company is in a ship wreck facing its ever increasing problems of economic ordeal.The employees and second line executives in the hierarchy are embittered and feels the swaggering ITS ,the pantheon of gods in BSNL are riding roughshod over them ,quaffing their pint of blood.The executives and non-executives feel badly let down by the overarchingly dominating ITS Bonoparts sitting in high pedestals.The warring factions are engaged in a pathological hatred ingrained in their blood.
Sri.Namboothiri the national leader of BSNLEU says that the ITS officers are becoming more and more savages out-of-synch with the civilized society.What happened to Sukaendra Pal can befall on anyone else and is anybodies guess.The management is eager to protect their kin with all the law and justice being flouted in day light.
“It is understood now that instead of completing the repatriation process, DoT is preparing a Cabinet Note to ensure that the present ITS officers are deputed to BSNL on a permanent basis,” said V. A. N. Namboodiri, Convener of the BSNL workers’ union.
He said that the proposed move would create two categories of employees, one section who are absorbed and the other on deputation, creating much confusion, as has been seen in the case of the Air India-Indian Airlines merger.
Rules are being made for the ITS ,by the ITS in BSNL.The telecom districts are their fiefdom and is run on their whims and the full authority is centralized on them. They treat the executives and non-executives as steerage passengers.The greatest tomfoolery the non-ITS in BSNL have done was to get absorbed meekly with out hindsight.The ITS cognoscenti who are supposed to run the service ,kept the powder dry ,waiting for the ship jump to swim to the safe havens of Government positions reserved for them. The non-ITS executives associations that bask in the role of squat-on the-court-varanda revolutionaries ,try to pull down every time a fellow crab crawls up the bucket. The born-waste-raglifter non-executives associations are in the anarchy of political polarizations and ambitions.They could only pummel the pillow with the fist with their untiring list of complaints.
Mr V.A.N.Namboodiri the veteran leader quips;“The workers are demanding that if the ITS officers are given permanent deputation, they also should be treated as being on permanent deputation and granted all the benefits of the government service as granted to ITS officers. There should be no discrimination between the two sections,” . Either all employees should be absorbed in BSNL or all employees should be on deputation, he adds.
The workers are peeved that top level officers belonging to the Indian Telecom Service (ITS) cadre are given increased transport allowance and other 14 allowances while many they enjoyed like medical allowance and LTC are systematically removed with out remorse.
The immolation of Mr Pal is a symbol. A symbol of the telecom workers in India caught in the cruel arrogance of hierarchical power generals in BSNL.
The brazenness of the feudal cults which silences the truth with the ghastly power which it wields can not be tolerated by any one having a tad of self-esteem left.
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