P&T Department was once the most efficient and non-corrupt department of the Government of India. But now, it can not be said of BSNL which was bifurcated from P&T in to Telecom and then in to BSNL. It has become one of the most corrupt if you consider the large number of vigilance cases against its employees, mostly top-level officers. The latest is the reported case against the Chief General Manager of Calcutta Telecom Factory.
The so-called reforms on the lines of neo-liberalisation policy, the fast growing telecom sector, the entry of the profit motivated private companies as also the formation of BSNL from government to public sector along are some of the reasons which have increased the corruptions in BSNL. Outsourcing and contracts are breeding grounds for corruption. This opportunity is maximum utilised to the tilt by the corrupt minded persons, jeopardising the future of the company itself. In the present society, when even the most respected are involved in corruptible practices, the corruption has lost its stigma. Accumulation of money has become the aim of the life for some.
How it can be fought? We have seen and are seeing that how the fight against corruption is weakened by the Government itself, which is expected to lead the same.
The time has come for the workers of BSNL to strengthen the fight against corruption, whether it is bribe taking from contractors / outsourcing, in the tenders etc. At the same time the exploitation of the contract workers, which is also a method of corrupt practice has to be stopped. A determined and committed workforce can do a lot to make the corrupt practices to be reduced, even if not complete eradication. However our aim should be zero toleration of corruption.