BSNL suffered Rs 14,979cr loss in 2013-14 in landline biz

State-run BSNL suffered a loss of Rs 14,979 crore in landline services during 2013-14 whereas its net loss for the period stood at Rs 7,085 crore.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said loss for landline business of BSNL for 2013-14 stood at Rs 14,979 crore and net loss at Rs 7085 crore. The figures for the period are provisional and unaudited.
The public sector firm's net loss stood at Rs 7,884 crore in 2012-13 and Rs 8,851 crore for 2011-12. The loss for landline business was Rs 13,445 crore for 2012-13 and Rs 12,669 crore in 2011-12.

Prasad said BSNL is preparing a plan for financial revival and comprehensive human resource restructuring for the company, for which details are yet to be finalised.
BSNL has taken various steps to improve its landline business such as redeployment of workforce with more focus on sales, distribution and customer care activities.
"Migration from public switched telephone network to next generation network in the current five year plan to provide enhanced value added services like presonalised ring back tone, broadband VAS, multi media video conferencing and fixed mobile services convergence etc," the minister said.

He also said measures have been taken to retain and enhance the landline connectivity by increasing penetration of broadband whereas sales and marketing set up has been strengthened by having exclusive channel management team consisting of 4,500 exclusive sales representatives.

The firm has also introduced call detail record based billing, commercial and fault repair service and work order management system.
In reply to another query, the minister said BSNL had land and building assets worth Rs 5,528.65 crore as on March 31, 2014.
The value of MTNL land and building assets stood at Rs 1,430.39 crore.