New Delhi [India], July 23 (ANI): There was no revenue loss to BSNL and the government, and the recent estimates quoted in a CAG report were based on misinterpretation of some clauses, Minister for State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday in a written reply.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report No. 01 of 2025 for the year ending March, 2023 pointed out some lapses in contractual compliance, planning, and billing including the total cumulative financial loss of Rs 1,944.92 crore by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
Asked by Congress MP Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde whether BSNL failed to enforce the Master Service Agreement with Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (RJIL), resulting in a so-called loss of Rs 1,757.76 crore, the Minister, without getting into specifics, responded that BSNL has Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with M/s RJIL, for leasing of BSNL’s tower infrastructure to install their equipment.
“There is no revenue loss to BSNL and Government. The estimate of CAG was based on the misinterpretation of the clause of add-on technology, which has now been rectified in a transparent and equitable manner. BSNL has since raised the revised invoices from RJIL,” the minister’s written reply in Lok Sabha read.
In another query, the minister was asked whether BSNL deviated from its own Procurement Manual in procuring oversized PIJF underground cables worth Rs 80.64 crore, which remain unutilized.
To which, the minister said the procurement of higher size PIJF underground cables was as per then extant norms.
“However, due to changed competitive scenario in telecom sector, the procured cable could not be fully utilized. The surplus cable has been monetized by BSNL to the tune of Rs 70.32 crore and the remaining cable has a sale value of approximately Rs 23 Crore,” the Lower House was apprised.
To recover losses and prevent recurrence of such lapses in the functioning of BSNL and other PSUs, actions such as resolving the ambiguity in agreement clauses, monetisation of surplus inventory, issuance of revised demands and recovery have been taken, the minister supplemented.
Further, PSUs have been advised to timely process bills and be extra cautious while taking policy/business decision. (ANI)
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