Paswan calls for reports on 'sabotage'

Communication Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said that action would be taken against those workers and employees found to have sabotaged telecom operations leading to countrywide disruption of services.

Paswan asked all the heads of telecom circles who were in New Delhi to look into the disruption of telecom services and file reports whereby it would be then decided against whom action would be taken.

The disruption in telecom services has ''damaged the image of the departments of telecom," Paswan said.

The protest had disrupted services across the country which includes land phones, mobile and Internet traffic. The workers and officers were on a ''work to rule'' agitation. The minister said ''work to rule'' is legitimate but ''this kind of misrule is not correct.''

On corporatisation, he said, it is a government policy and nobody can question it. The corporatisation which takes effect from October 1 has already looked into the financial viability of the workers which has been worked out to ''their satisfaction,'' the minister said.

He said before the decision was taken, several committees had been set up to look into anomalies in respect of pension and finance among others.

The minister said why should a section of employees held the country to ransom for ''very small issues.'' This disruption comes close on the heels of a massive strike by key telecom federations early this month which ended after Paswan had assured them that their demands would be met.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of State for Communications Tapan Sikdar said most of the long distance lines had been restored and normalcy was returning. He said the earlier strike was called off due to the government's intervention.

The minister admitted that there was some sabotage in telecom services in parts of the country. When the momentum for corporatisation was gaining, the current situation did not fit in the scheme, he said. On a more conciliatory note, Sikdar said, the government was ready to honour all organisations and lauded those circles that had kept the disruption of services at bay.

He circles heads should know what the government has done for the employees, he said. On the other hand circles must work with greater transparency keeping in mind the customer.

On the private sector's obligation, Paswan said they had to carry out their targets especially in the village telephony. He said the concept of ''virtual calling cards'' was taking shape. This step was taken because 86 per cent of the international calls came from abroad while only 40 per cent went out from India reflecting the tariff parity.

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