Posting of Telecom Officials : Rajya Sabha Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF  COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

RAJYA SABHA

Posting of Telecom officials

(a) whether Government is aware of the fact that BSNL and MTNL have sent back 400 officers to the Telecom Department due to lack of work and to curtail expenditure and other such reasons;

(b) whether it is also a fact that the above 400 telecom officials are getting their salary without doing any work for the last eight months due to lack of work;

(c) if so, whether Government has contacted other departments where these officials could be sent on deputation; and

(a) to (d) In pursuance of Rule 37-A of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), on 22nd September, 2011, called options from Group ‘A’ officers of Indian Telecom Service (ITS)/ Telegraph Traffic Service (TTS)/ Telecom Factories Service (TFS), General Central Service (GCS), Indian P&T Accounts & Finance Service (IP&T AFS) and P&T Building Works Service (P&T BWS) for absorption in BSNL/MTNL or to continue in Government service. Last date for exercising options in this regard for officers working in DoT or on deputation to organizations other than BSNL/MTNL was prescribed as 28th October, 2011. Such date for officers on deemed deputation to BSNL/MTNL was 8th November, 2011.

DoT, on 3rd November, 2011, ordered that Group ‘A’ officers working on deemed deputation to BSNL/MTNL who had not opted for BSNL/MTNL by 8th November, 2011 and in whose cases the courts, as per records with DoT, have not granted interim stay or given interim directions, would be reverted to Government from 9th November, 2011 onwards. Till 21st August, 2012, a total of 434 Group ‘A’ officers have been relieved by BSNL/MTNL for reporting to DoT. Of the aforesaid officers, 49 officers have either been assigned duties/ responsibilities in the DoT or have joined various Central Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations/ State Governments on deputation. 

To implement provisions of Rule 37-A (6) of the rules ibid, DoT, on 27.12.2011 constituted Surplus Cell Establishments (SSEs) for referring the names of Group ‘A’ officers of ITS and IP&T AFS who have opted for Government service and are identified to be in excess of the requirement of this Department to the Surplus Cell of the Government for their redeployment. However, the constitution of SSE for ITS officers has been stayed by Central Administrative Tribunal, Jaipur Bench and Hyderabad Bench. Necessary action is being taken by the DoT to defend these cases and to get the stay vacated. A Transfer Petition has also been filed in the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench for transfer and clubbing of the cases at Jaipur and Hyderabad Benches for adjudication and decision by the Principal Bench.

An order dated 17th April, 2012 was passed by the High Court of Delhi in a writ petition filed by Indian Telecom Service Association and other connected writ petitions in which the High Court, inter-alia, allowed the petitioners to exercise a fresh option within two weeks from the date of this order to revert to the Government or to seek permanent absorption in BSNL/MTNL, as the case may be. The High Court also directed that BSNL/MTNL shall relieve such of the petitioners, who opt to revert to Government service within 2 weeks of receipt of options from them. BSNL & MTNL filed petitions before the High Court of Delhi for extension of date of relieving unabsorbed Group ‘A’ officers back to DoT. The High Court by its order dated 18th May, 2012 extended the date for relieving these officers by BSNL/MTNL till 30th September, 2012.

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