The Ministry of Communications stated in the Lok Sabha that there is no plan for the disinvestment of government-owned telecommunications provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL).
When DMK MP DM Kathir Anand asked if the assets of the company would be taken into consideration for the disinvestment of BSNL, the Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan replied, “There is no plan under consideration for disinvestment of BSNL.”
The minister asked the government for complete data on the immovable assets of BSNL in the country including buildings, lands, towers and telecom equipment.
The details provided by the ministry shows that BSNL has 3,266 buildings across all circles, 1,388 towers and satellites, 21,042 telecom equipment and 686 non-telecom equipment. Telecom equipment includes apparatus and plants, cables, computer servers, installation test equipment, lines and wires and subscriber installation, while non-telecom equipment includes computer-end user devices, electrical fittings, furniture and fixtures, motor vehicles and launches.
BSNL’s losses doubled in 2018-19 to nearly Rs 15,000 crore from 2017-18. It posted losses of Rs 7,993 crore in 2017-18, and Rs 4,793 crore in 2016-17. The company had posted a loss of Rs 15,499.58 crore in 2019-20.
However, it narrowed its consolidated loss to Rs 7,441.11 crore in the financial year ended on March 31, 2021, according to an official. A BSNL official said, "The loss has come down mainly due to reduction in employee wages on account of voluntary retirement opted by 78,569 employees."
BSNL's net worth came down to Rs 51,686.8 crore during FY2021 from Rs 59,139.82 crore in the previous year. The outstanding debt of the company increased to Rs 27,033.6 crore in FY2020-21 from Rs 21,674.74 crore in FY2019-20.
Also read: Govt plans to merge BBNL with BSNL this month: BSNL CMD