BSNL vendor seeks ‘assurance’ from finance minister

NEW DELHI: Beleaguered firm Clixxo Broadband, an equipment supplier to state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has sought assurance from the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following the advisory to central public sector companies to clear overdue payments to vendors by October 15.
In a letter dated September 30, to Sitharaman, seen by ETT, Noida-based firm’s managing director Pankaj Singhal said that such directions should also be covered by some kind of insurance and should not merely be “public statements with no consequences.”
Singhal, in the letter, said that among ailing state-owned entities, BSNL was one of them to which the micro, small and medium enterprise partnered, and added, “We sincerely hope that your (FinMin) directions shall be heeded by them (BSNL) as well, however, the predicament lies in the fact that they have no money.”