BSNL connections and market share increased in the last three years.

As per the reply given in the Parliament by Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on 27th December 2017, BSNL has increased both its connections and market share in the last three years.As on 31st March 2015, the connections were 9.32 crores which increased to 10.16 crore in 2016 and 11.50 crore in 2017. The latest figure as on 30-09-2017 is 11.89 crore. An increase of 2.57 crores in three years.

The Market share also increased from 9.36% (31-03-2015) to 9.59% (2016) and 9.63% (2016) and as per latest on 30-09-2017 it is 9.85%.An increase of about .5%

Well done BSNL. Despite the cut throat competition and entry of Reliance Jio with deep pockets, BSNL has stood firm and increased its connection and market share.

Hearty Congratulations to the BSNL Management and the workers who stood together and made it possible!

Now the government has to ensure that the employees get their due wage revision w.e.f. 01-01-2017. There should be no delay.

Rs. 4,066 crore allotted to BharatNet for providing village connectivity – Minister.

“Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said that the Indian government had approved Rs 4,066 crore for providing last mile connectivity, through Wi-Fi or any other suitable broadband technology, to people in all gram panchayats under the BharatNet project. The Indian government has a plan to provide connectivity to 2,50,000 gram panchayats under the BharatNet project in the country by March 2019, he informed Parliament.

Bharat Net

“The strategy to provide last mile connectivity has been approved by the Telecom Commission on September 8, 2017. The tender to select the implementing agency for provision of last mile connectivity has been prepared by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL),” Sinha said, adding that the government provided optical fibre connectivity to 1,08,237 GPs by laying 2,52,547 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), and 96,039 gram panchayats are ready for broadband services as on December 24.

“In the Phase-I of the project, 1 lakh GPs are envisaged to be connected on 100 Mbps (megabit per second) speed. However in Phase-II, to cover the remaining GPs, dark fibre for leasing to Service Providers, provision of 1 Gbps (gigabit per second) bandwidth in case of wired media (OFC) and minimum 100 Mbps bandwidth scalable up to 1 Gbps in case of wireless media (radio) at a GP have been decided,” Sinha said.

The Minister also said that the government is planning to equip towers with solar power kits so that they keep functioning even when there is no power supply to improve internet connectivity through mobile phones especially in the rural areas.

In order to improve mobile internet connectivity in the rural areas, the government is increasing the number of BSNL towers. Sinha said that in 2011, there were 53,000 villages where there was no internet connectivity through mobile phones, and the number has come down to 30,000.

“The Centre has asked the states to identify such villages so that connectivity can be provided, he said.

The Minister said that BSNL had posted an operating profit and more towers will be set up to improve the service and connectivity of the public sector enterprise. There are around 4.61 lakh mobile towers in the country out of which BSNL has 66,771 mobile towers.

BSNL had previously submitted a proposal about providing 4G services which the government is considering.” (Courtesy: Telecom Talk)

AYUSH Hospitals Empanelled under CGHS and CS(MA) Rules

Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Department of Health & Family Welfare
Directorate General of CGHS

S -11011/90/ 2016/-CGHS (HEC) AYUSH/Pt- l.

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi 110 011
Dated the 26th December, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: – Empanelment of AYUSH Hospitals/Centres under CGHS/CS(MA) Rules

With reference to the above mentioned subject attention is drawn to the Office Memorandum of even Number dated the 9th November, 2017 and to state that the following AYUSH Hospitals have signed new MOA and submitted PBG and are notified as CGHS empanelled hospitals for a period of 3 years from the 15t December 2017 as per the revised CGHS rates and terms and conditions as contained in the said 0M:

1. Kailash Institute of Naturopathy Ayurveda & Yoga , 26 KP-I, Greater Noida. – 201308 Phones- 0120-2327911 & 2327900 E-Mail: kinay@kailasnnaturopatnv.com

2. Sree Subramania Ayurvedic Nursing Home. Karikkamkulam, Karaparamba P.O. Calicut, Kerala-673010 Phone-+91495/2371452,6061011 Email: info@bol.net.in

3. Vivekanand Prathishthan Parishad. Vivekanand Hospital Yogasharam, Patparganj Road, Khureji Delhi- 110051 ,Tel: 22502142. 22424057 E-mail: healing@bol.net.in

4. Maharishi Ayurveda Hospital, Khosla Medical Institute & Research Society, Block-B. Pocket-P. Shalimar Bagh(West) Delhi-110088 ,Phone: 2747501, 9502.9503 E-mail: info@mahospital.org

5. Bapu Nature Cure Hospital & Yogashram. Gandhi Nidhi. Mayur Vihar Phase-I Delhi- 110091, Phone- +919911371757 Email: info@bnchy.org

The non-NABH Hospitals are however, required to obtain NABH Accreditation within one year from date of this empanelment. which they are liable to be removed from the list Of empanelled hospitals under CGHS.

(Dr. D.C.Joshi)
Director,CGHS

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD COME FORWARD TO SETTLE THE WAGE REVISION.

The one lakh eighty thousand executives and non-executives working in the BSNL as also the one lakh casual-contract labourers have gone on two-days strike on 12th and 13th December 2017 as per the call of the All Unions & Associations in BSNL and also BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation,demanding wage revision with 15% fitment from 01-01-2017.I The strike has been completely successful with almost all the employees on strike and the 30,000 or more BSNL offices almost closed. The demands are fully justified and do not need any further explanation.

In such a situation, why the DOT, BSNL and the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) keeping silence? Of course, the pressure from the BJP government will be there to ignore the struggle of the workers as seen in the case of CG employees, GDS etc. But workers will not keep silence. More and more struggle will erupt.

We demand that the government should ask DOT and BSNL to start discussion with the Unions and associations and settle the issue.

3515 farmers in Karnataka committed suicide between 2013 and 2017

As many as 3,515 farmers in Karnataka committed suicide between April 2013 and November 2017, out of which 2,525 were due to drought and farm failure, statistics provided by the State Agriculture Department said.”3,515 farmers were reported to have committed suicide from April 2013 to November 2017, and from April 2008 to April 2012, as many as 1,125 farmers were reported to have committed suicide,” it said.
Out of the 3,515 suicide cases reported, agriculture department accepted 2,525 cases which were due to drought and crop failure. (Courtesy: PTI)

Both the Central and state Governments are responsible for this tragedy. They can not wash away the blood of the kisans on their hand. At least implement now the poll assurance of waiving their loans and providing minimum price so that further suicides can be stopped.

HOW FAST WAR VETERANS’ DEMANDS ON OROP IS CONSIDERED BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT….!

 We are reproducing below the relevant portion of the reply given by the Defense Minister on anomalies in implementation of One Rank One Pension to the war veterans. It may be remembered that the government was compelled to implement the OROP after pro-long and sacrificing struggle by the ex-servicemen. There were lot of complaints after implementation of OROP from the war veterans and the main complaint was that what is implemented is not at all OROP. But the Modi government was not prepared to look into the complaints and the war veterans had to launch another sustained struggle. There after the government agreed to appoint a Judicial Committee to examine the complaints and to make necessary recommendions . The Judicial Committee was appointed on 14-12-2015 and the report was submitted after 10 months, 0n 26-10-2016.
And the government slept over the report for 9 months and appointed another committee, called the internal committee on 19-07-2017, presumably after getting the question from the MP in this regard. The “sincerity and eagerness” of the government on such vital issue is thoroughly exposed.

Excerpts of reply by the Defense Minister in Parliament.

Some Ex-Servicemen Associations have been demanding changes in methodology for fixation of pension,periodicity of its revision, coverage of future Pre-mature retirees (PMR) cases, etc. The Government appointed One Member Judicial Committee (OMJC) onOROP to look into anomalies, if any arising out of implementation of OROP on 14.12.2015. The Terms of Reference of the Committee was as under:-

To examine and make recommendations on references received from the Central Government on the following matters:-

(i) Measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise in implementation of the OROP Letter No.12(1)/2014/D(Pen/Pol)/Part-II, dated 7.11.2015.

(ii) Measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise out of inter-service issues of the three forces due to implementation of OROP order ibid.

(iii) Implications on service matters.

(iv) Any other matter referred by the Central Government on implementation of the OROP or related issues.

In making its recommendations, the Committee shall take into account the financial impact of its recommendations.

Around 3200 representations for addressing the anomalies on OROP were received from individuals / Associations which were examined and issues referred to the Judicial Committee on OROP for its recommendations. The Committee submitted its report on 26.10.2016. An Internal Committee has been constituted by the Government on 19.07.2017 to examine the recommendations of OMJC with respect to feasibility and financial aspects.