Addl GM BW BSNL CO issued orders for acceptance for refusal of promotion by JTOs as SDE Civil who were promoted after prolonged wait and it was their first promotion in their 27 years executive career in DoT/BSNL. Copy<<<>>
This is extremely unfortunate and painful that Nine JTOs out of merely 62 JTOs who earned their first promotion after nearly three decades have chosen to decline it.
Their refusal is not because they were unwilling to shoulder higher responsibilities, but because they were posted outside their working Circles despite the availability of sufficient vacancies in their respective Circles and due to family constraints and mainly due to left with few years of services before superannuation.
The situation becomes even more disappointing considering that some Circle Heads had strongly recommended retention of these officers in their existing Circles due to acute manpower requirements. However, these genuine administrative requirements and the availability of vacancies were not taken into account while issuing the posting orders.
As a result, even after 27 years wait, these officers will now continue to serve as JTOs, despite being found fit for promotion, until the next promotion exercise.
They will also suffer the consequential loss of career progression, including a delay of around two years in their next Time Bound Upgradation, apart from the financial and psychological hardship caused by the denial of promotion.
Important point is that promoted officers are not going to get even single rupee financial benefits as BSNL Management has already withdrawn only increment available on promotions {Copy<<<>>} and hence their expenditure will enhance due to transfers.
The refusal of promotions is just because of stubborn stand of CMD BSNL for posting each and every promoted executives out of their working Circle even though more than sufficient vacancies exists in the working Circle.
SNEA has submitted proposal for consideration of One to One or Mutual request for change of Circle with no single rupee expenditure to BSNL. Our proposal was appreciated and we were repeatedly assured that it will be given consideration as these proposal was for change in one to one approach among the transferred Circles and not in their working Circle, but the same is not given consideration and this refusal order is issued. Copy<<<>>
In BSNL, all such issues of posting of SDEs on promotion were earlier decided by CGM EW/BW or PGM Pers with final approval of Director HR. But in most unfortunate happenings in BSNL, nowadays all such small issues are decided by CMD BSNL who do not have sufficient time to understand the pain of these executives in refusing promotions after prolonged wait of 27 years. We feel it as deliberate attempt to deprive executives even from minimum level motivation to BSNL executives on promotion.
Management is working in cruel approach that each and every executive promoted is transferred out of Circle regardless of existence of vacancies and the executives from other Circles are posted to these Circles and this never happened in BSNL. Finally in in most derogatory manner , promoted Executives are compelled to refuse the promotion as happened in this case.
Till before AGM LICE promotions in 2025, posting on promotions was done on as is where is basis and only in case of non-existence of vacancies, the executives were transferred to other Circles that to be to nearby Circles.
We have repeatedly brought it to the notice of all responsible Officers and our request for posting to the working Circle to the extent of existing vacancies was agreed by Shri Rajiv Kumar Kaushik, PGM Pers and Dr. Kalyan Sagar Nippani, Director HR who are competent authority to decide the Promotion and posting of SDEs & AGMs cadre executives.
Shri. A. Robert J Ravi, CMD BSNL has agreed for this each time we submit, but it is unfortunate that since he has taken over and with posting in AGM LICE Promotions, the PGM Pers and Director HR have lost these powers and all such powers are centralised with CMD BSNL and since then this cruel approach of posting all promoted executives to other Circles is started and continued in SDE Civil promotions and now seen in the SDE Electrical wing promotions.
CMD BSNL was kind enough for reducing number of long stay transfers and excluding female executives from long stay Inter Circle transfers, but such transfers on promotion even though vacancies exist are more damaging as concerned Executives has to either accept promotion or be ready for facing losses including that of financial losses.
In Civil wing promotions, female executives exclude but in SDE Electrical promotions ladies are also not spared from transfers as Mrs. Vallabaneni Sri Sudha only female executive promoted is transferred from AP to TN Circle even though vacancy exists in AP Circle.
The Civil & Electrical wings are engaged in new set of operational activities and the presence of the executive having well-versed with the local organisation will be an added advantage to the company.
The SDEs in Civil /Electrical wing are the executives in these wings where they have to communicate with labours/supervisors/ vendors/ local government departments where language barriers will be a major problem and BSNL will be the ultimate loser, but the same also is not given consideration
In earlier working of BSNL, the mistakes were done at lower level and where such mistakes were corrected by higher officers. But in recent past reverse trend is started in BSNL as mistakes are done at higher level and there is no one to correct it. The lower level officers do not have courage to point out mistakes or lacunas in works done at higher level and no chance of powers to correct it and hence the mistake is not corrected even after bringing it to notice of all concerned but efforts are done to justify these mistakes/ wrong actions, policy violations. Due to this approach, instead of corrective measures on these mistakes/ wrong actions, policy violations, the same are carried forward projecting wrong as right, this is most unfortunate.
SNEA believes that transfers outside the Circle may be justified on case no vacancies exist in the working Circle. However, transferring every promoted executive outside the Circle despite adequate vacancies serves neither administrative efficiency nor employee motivation and this is nothing but deliberate harassment of executives due to lack of practical and happenings in the field units.
CMD BSNL is of the opinion that all these Executives were working at the same place and even though it has been brought to his notice that all these executives have undergone many Inter Circle/Inter BA/ Inter zone transfers, but CMD BSNL is of the opinion that till 27 years these executives are working at the same place and hence at least on promotions they needs to be shifted.
Such a poor understanding and biased approach without understanding reality discourages executives from accepting promotions and has created an unprecedented situation where many executives are preferring to forego regular promotions rather than face compulsory inter Circle transfers.
This trend is unhealthy for any organization and particularly for a pan-India Public Sector Enterprise like BSNL, where employee motivation and organizational stability are critical for delivering quality Telecom services. If this approach continues then henceforth executives will refuse promotions in mass.
SNEA condemns this extreme negative approach and attitude of the BSNL management.
One side Honourable MoC and MoSC are working on clearing deadlock in BSNL promotions by overcoming court cases, this stand of CMD BSNL for posting every promoted Executive out of working Circle ruins all these efforts of high offices of MoC & MoSC.
SNEA once again appeal CMD BSNL for sympathetic consideration and review of his stand for posting each and every promoted officer out of present Circle and let the posting be decided by at least Director HR level as per delegated powers.
We also appeal to follow the well-defined policy of posting executives in working Circle till vacancies exists in that Circle and in case of no vacancies in the same Circle, then promoted Executives may be posted to other Circle with priority to nearby Circle having vacant posts.
Let us pray for that the desired wisdom prevails in BSNL management and the justice is given to these affected executives by review of their refusal/forgo and by considering their request for posting to Circle having vacancies either in working or nearby Circle and a real justice prevails for them.
SNEA will continues its pursuation to restore well accepted policy for posting in working Circle till vacancy exists and will take all possible steps for it.
