NEW DELHI, JULY 27 (UNI) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 1.64 lakh crore revival package for state-owned telco BSNL. The revival package focuses on infusing fresh capital for up-grading BSNL services, allocating spectrum, de-stressing its balance sheet, and augmenting its fiber network by merging Bharat Broadband Nigam Ltd (BBNL) with BSNL. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the package is aimed at making BSNL a sustainable entity and a vibrant telecom player. “A revival package of Rs 1,64,156 crore for revival of BSNL has been approved. The first revival package for BSNL had come in 2019.
After that BSNL has become a stable organization,” Vaishnaw said. He further said that as a result of that revival package BSNL reached the position of operating profit after many years. “After 2019 revival pack- age BSNL has become a stable entity. It currently has a revenue of about Rs 19,000 crore and an operating expense of about Rs 18,000 crore. So, it has reached the level of operating profit of about Rs 1,000 crore. Now, hereon, today’s revival package will work to- wards making BSNL a sustainable entity and a vibrant telecom player,” the Minister said. As per the package approved today, BSNL’s existing services would be improved and in order to provide 4G services, it will be allotted spectrum in 900/1800 MHz band administratively at the cost of Rs 44,993 crore through equity infusion. “To promote indigenous technology development, BSNL is in process of deploying the Atmanirbhar 4G technology stack. To meet the projected capital expenditure for next 4 years, Government will fund Capex of Rs 22,471 crore,” an official statement said. Despite the commercial non-viability.
