Sale of Rs 37,500 crore worth of BSNL, MTNL assets hits ownership hurdle

Sources said there was a one-month lag in salary payments of BSNL employees and two months for MTNL staff

The sale of assets by Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) is likely to take longer than expected, as their buildings registered before 1988 are owned by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The telecom companies have to buy these properties from the Centre before monetising them.

“Even if the sale happens for no amount, the transaction has to be registered with a sale deed,” said a government official aware of the development. BSNL and MTNL own the buildings they bought after 2004, and can sell them directly.

The central government hopes to monetise real estate assets worth