BSNL to digitise land records

In an effort to generate additional streams of revenue, public sector telecoms entity BSNL is digitising its land records.

“All the land data across India (except Delhi and Mumbai where MTNL operates) is being worked out. The land details will soon be available in a digital format, which will then be put to best use for generating revenues,” a senior BSNL official told Business Standard.

BSNL will later work along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to to realise the true value of the land asset. Subsequently, the land could be given out to private firms on lease. About 49 per cent of the revenues of BSNL go towards paying salary.

The telecom entity, which posted Rs 1,823-crore loss in 2009-10, has been struggling to arrest its declining market share and revenues, amid increased competition and low tariff. It may post a loss of Rs 2,500 crore for 2010-11.

The PSU is now betting big on enterprise business and expects to clock over Rs 3,000 crore from the segment in the current fiscal. It has also recently started leasing out telecom towers to the service providers and rent out space in the existing buildings for telecom and IT-related services. For instance, space could be leased out to set up a KPO/BPO or a call centre.

BSNL, which keeps a close tab on the revenues of all the circles has asked the circle heads to increase revenues by at least 15 per cent. After Sam Pitroda report, which suggested that BSNL should lay off about one-third of its employees at about 1 lakh, the Board for reconstruction of public sector enterprises also recommended that it should give voluntary retirement (VRS) to its employees.

However, BSNL proposed a plan of VRS for about 21,000 of its employees, which was rejected by DoT. BSNL has now been asked by DoT to prepare a revised plan for VRS saying the figure of 21,000 is very less keeping in mind the financial burden of the entity. Some of the DoT officials are of the view that BSNL should lay off about 1 lakh people, as suggested by the Pitroda report.