SHAME, SHAME, SHAME..From SNEA

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.....................Shabir Ahmed Ex-Director (HR) BSNL and Satyapal kalsi, Ex-CGM UP-(E)

 TIP OF AN  ICEBERG

Shocking but surely not surprising: Two senior officers of BSNL Management belonging to the ITS services – Sh Shabir Ahmed, ex- Director(HR)/BSNL, officer of the rank of Additional Secretary to Govt of India, and Sh Satya pal kalsi, ex- CGM/UP(E), also officer of Additional Secretary rank,  has been found to have undertaken commercial employment with MS Reliance Info comm. Ltd. without obtaining the permission of the government in violation of the provisions of rule 10(1) of CCS pension Rules, 1972.

 MS Reliance Infocomm. Ltd. has confirmed that both Shabir Ahmed and Kalsi joined consultants in Reliance within 15 days and 5 months of their retirement from BSNL respectively.

 The Central Government has imposed penalty of reduction of their pension by 25% for a period of one year commencing from July, 2010. While we are not at all surprised at involvement of Sh Satya Pal Kalsi because of his established dubious integrity, what has shocked us is the involvement of Sh. Shabir Ahmed because we always held him in high esteem. This Association wrote a number of letters to then CMD/BSNL, Sh. Prithpal Singh, demanding severe action against Sh, Satya pal Kalsi because of his rampant corrupt practices in 2002-03 as CGM/UP(E) and his very close nexus with Reliance Infocomm. Ltd., but because of fraternal ITS considerations no action whatsoever was taken against him, even he was not shifted out of UP(E).

 What is very significant is how much of vital business secrets and strategy both these officers would have passed on to Reliance Info Comm is evident from the fact that they were taken as consultants by Reliance just days after their retirement. How much incalculable damage would they have inflicted on business and commercial interests of BSNL because of their close nexus with Reliance when they were closely involved in taking critical policy decisions relating to business and commercial strategies of BSNL? A full fledged probe and initiation of criminal proceedings against both these officers would be appropriate and reveal huge losses BSNL would have suffered. This criminal action and betrayal of trust needs to be thoroughly probed and exposed.

 However, this revelation is only tip of an iceberg since hundreds and hundreds of   ITS officers were on the pay rolls of various service providers and joined them immediately after their retirements. Even huge number of retired ITS officers are working for private service providers as on date are securing huge favours from very senior officers in DOT dealing with matters of telecom policy and licensing.