GoM to meet on BSNL, MTNL

New Delhi (PTI): Group of Ministers (GoM) is looking into the revival strategy for BSNL and MTNL, is scheduled to meet on June 11. "Its (GoM) scheduled for June 11," official sources said. The GoM, headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, was constituted after Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised concerns over the future of the two loss-making PSUs. BSNL losses are expected at around Rs 8,198 crore, and that of MTNL is likely to be around Rs 3,300 crore for the financial year 2012-13.

The GoM has to decide on providing financial support to BSNL and MTNL for retaining airwaves beyond the initial quantity that was allocated to them for mobile and other wireless services. The cost of these airwaves amounts to around Rs 6,912 crore for BSNL and Rs 3,205 crore for MTNL. The GoM has also to look into the proposal of the two companies to surrender wireless broadband spectrum. BSNL and MTNL were asked to pay Rs 8,313.8 crore and Rs 4,533.97 crore, respectively, on June 20, 2010, for the airwaves that are being currently used to provide 4G services.