DoT will move cabinet with BSNL, MTNL package: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI:

Communications and IT minister

Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said that the telecom department will soon move cabinet to put in place a

rehabilitation package

for ailing public sector companies

MTNL

and BSNL, which he described as “strategic national assets”.


The minister did not elaborate on the plan and said that the details are being worked out.

Listing out his priorities for the telecom department, Prasad said that a committee, headed by telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan was being constituted to look at various issues to reduce the stress on the sector. The panel will look at some of the recommendations of Trai, including licence fee paid by telecom companies. The secretary will hold consultations with the solicitor general to find solution to any legal issues that may be confronting the sector.

On Thursday TOI had reported that DoT was seeking a 25% reduction in licence fee and other sops for the sector that is reeling under debt stress and has to grapple with falling tariffs in a competitive market.