BSNL seeks to rent its land to other state-owned units instead of selling

BSNL is expected to post a loss of Rs 7,000 crore, including a Rs 4,000-crore operational loss

Troubled telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), which is expecting a bailout package and thinking of monetising its assets, wants to be allowed to rent its land (it has about 7,500 plots in the country with a rough valuation of Rs 70,000 crore) to other central public sector units instead of selling them.

BSNL sources indicated before the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) firmed up proposals to monetise real estate assets through the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), it should be allowed to rent those plots.

Company officials say DIPAM may not prioritise the monetisation of BSNL assets, and,