New Delhi, oCT 10:
State-run operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has said there is no plan to shut the company down and it will continue to offer telecom services in the country.
The company’s statement comes two days after the Financial Express newspaper reported that the finance ministry has suggested that the sick PSU be closed down.
“Recently there has been (an article) published in the media about closure of BSNL. In this regard, it is clarified that there is a plan under active consideration for revival of BSNL by the government by giving suitable package in terms of VRS and 4G spectrum and allowing monetisation of assets available with BSNL,” the state-run operator said in a statement on Thursday.
To be sure, BSNL’s operations are not all smooth. For the first time in its history, BSNL delayed its February salaries. The company has been making losses continuously since 2009-10 and has been declared “incipient sick”.
Yet, there is hope, but only if Department of Telecommunications (DoT) gets its act together. The company has strong assets. BSNL, as of March 2018, owns land worth ?70,000 crore and buildings worth ?3,760 crore.
The company has also sought spectrum by equity infusion of ?6,767.5 crore.
