BSNL VIP Protocol Row: Two Senior Officials Shunted

By Ritesh Singh

Prayagraj: Following the VIP protocol order controversy and questions raised about employee duties, BSNL's Prayagraj general manager, Brijendra Kumar Singh, and deputy general manager, Jageshwar Verma, have been transferred.

While Brijendra is being transferred to Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Jogeshwar is likely to be sent to the National Telecom Region, sources said.

A show-cause notice has already been issued to Vivek Banzal, director of Consumer Fixed Access of the BSNL Board, whose proposed visit now stands cancelled pending an official inquiry.

The tranfer order for BSNL general manager Brijendra Kumar Singh. (ETV Bharat)

The matter came to light when Banzal released the order, which went viral on social media. The names of the senior officials and their duties were included in the list.

Banzal was scheduled to visit Prayagraj. Consequently, an order was issued by Jogeshwar assigning 20 tasks to nearly 50 officials for the management of every aspect of Banzal's tightly planned visit on February 25-26. Not only this, each individual was briefed on what they were supposed to carry, even down to their undergarments.

All their daily essentials, from bathing to lunch, were also arranged for and special care was taken to ensure that not even a single towel was missing. The protocol detailed minute-by-minute details of where he would be going and which officer would be accompanying him.

It was reported that during the first bath in the Sangam, his daily routine items were entrusted to a special officer, so that nothing used after the bath was left behind. Sources say when the matter came to the attention of officials, the visit was abruptly cancelled, which was communicated to Banzal by public relations officer Ashish Gupta.

The order detailing tasks to nearly 50 officials. (ETV Bharat)

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday slammed the "absurd and shocking" demands and arrangements linked to Banzal's proposed visit, calling it a "violation of rules" and "unacceptable conduct".

In an X post on February 21, BSNL India said, "BSNL has standing instructions in place regarding the manner in which official visits are to be handled. An instance of non-adherence to the same has been taken note of. The instance noted is not in conformity with the professional standards and values of BSNL.

"Appropriate action has been taken against the concerned. Further, instructions have been issued reiterating strict adherence to extant instructions. BSNL employees are reminded to strictly adhere to prescribed conduct rules and instructions in this regard," the post said.

According to the BSNL website, Banzal is an Indian Telecommunication Service officer of the 1987 batch. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics, a Master of Engineering in Computer Science, and an MBA. He has more than 34 years of experience handling telecom networks in India.

"Since 2016, he has been promoting and managing Bharat Fibre (BSNL's FTTH services), BSNL IT framework, and other services. His vision has led to the digitisation of processes and the introduction of innovative solutions for customers," they added.

Also Read

1. Improper, Unacceptable: Scindia Slams BSNL Babu's Protocol Arrangement Demands, Issues Showcause Notice
2. BSNL Director's Visit To Prayagraj Cancelled Following Criticism Over Elaborate Protocol