No disinvestment in postal dept: minister

PATNA: Junior Union minister for communication Shakeel Ahmad said that during the reign of the present UPA government, led by the Congress, the interests of working class people will be protected.
Inaugurating the state-level conference of Indian Federation of National Postal Organisation, Bihar circle, at the Post-Telegraph Recreation Centre here on Sunday, the minister said that there would be no disinvestment in the postal department and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and no “force� would be applied with regard to voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).
The minister further stated that no public sector would be closed or handed over to the private party. Besides, no private sector would be encouraged at the cost of public sector, he added. On the Union leaders'' demand of absorption of dependents of deceased postal employees, the minister said that he too was worried about it and had been trying to solve the problem. He stated that after being made the junior Union minister for communication, the first work he took up was to review the work done by the department in Bihar, since development of Bihar was his priority.
Presiding over the conference, Bihar INTUC president Chandra Prakash drew the minister''s attention towards pay anomalies, non-implementation of revised payscales and delay in filling up vacancies caused due to retirement or death of postal employees.
National Union of Postal Employees (Group C, Bihar circle) secretary S K Mishra drew the minister''s attention towards shortage of staff, particularly in Grade C cadre.