PSU Abuse

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), a BSE listed loss making telecom company of the government of India, is obliging its telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad by unofficially providing two drivers – one for his wife and the other for his brother – at his residence for personal duties on regular basis. One driver’s name is Satish, who is there at his residence ever since he took over as the telecom minister, while the second driver, for some unknown reasons, keeps changing.

This arrangement has been facilitated by one Gunjan Prasad Sinha, a DGM level officer (officiating as GM) in MTNL. In the official corridors he claims to be very close to the telecom minister’s family.

His connection with the minister is helping him in his super-promotions for the post of Executive Director (ED) in another loss making state owned company – Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL). To accommodate him, BSNL will have to make two major changes in the eligibility criteria – one on experience clause and another one on the seniority.