A day after BSNL senior director Vivk Banzala’s list of demands ahead of his proposed two-day visit to Prayagraj surfaced online to about 50 officials of the state telecom authority, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday condemned the incident.
Speaking to reporters, Scindia said such behavior “violated all rules and traditions”. When asked about the incident, he said: “It’s just unbelievable that someone would issue such an order. It breaks all the rules and traditions.”
He said a notice has been sent to BSNL about the show’s case and added, “We have also shown the director (Banzala). We will seek an answer and take action. It is beyond absurd and shocking.”
ANI said that the show cause notice has a seven-day deadline to respond.
BSNL Director’s ‘Royal Itinerary’: What Happened?
According to PTI, the office order similar to a “royal itinerary” included requests for combs, hair oil and underwear. He quickly attracted negative attention online. Nearly 50 officials were assigned around 20 tasks.
Banzal, Director Consumer Fixed Access (CFA) of BSNL Board, was scheduled to be in Prayagraj from February 25-26. He canceled the trip following the uproar, officials confirmed to PTI on Tuesday.
A netizen wrote on X, “Strict action against the planners of this ROYAL ITINERARY for BSNL Director’s visit is a must. Else it will be assumed that these money wastage exercises are routine in the department. If this is a royal itinerary for directors, what about other high stakes? @Officejmscindia (sic).”
Wrote another. “Breaking: Center issues notice to BSNL director Vivek Banzal on his ‘royal’ itinerary of Prayagraj trip. He has 7 days to respond (sic).”
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What was on the list?
- Once in Prayagraj, plans included bathing in the Sangam, a boat ride and visits to the Bade Hanuman Mandir, Akshayavat and Patalpuri temples.
- Son-in-law’s kits consisted of towels, underwear, slippers (referred to as “sleeper” in the office order), a comb, a mirror, and a bottle of oil.
- The office order also stated that six men’s sets (consisting of towel, underwear, mirror, comb, soap, shampoo, oil) and two women’s sets should be arranged.
- An instruction was also issued to arrange one sheet for general use at the ghat.
- A dry fruit bowl, fruit bowl, shaving kit (written as ‘thrifty’), towel, toothpaste, brush, soap, shampoo, comb and oil were to be arranged at the hotel and Circuit House, the order said.
How did BSNL respond?
BSNL India’s official X account wrote, “BSNL has standing guidelines in place regarding the manner in which official visits are to be handled. The case of non-compliance of the same has been taken note of.”
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“The identified case is not in accordance with the professional standards and values of BSNL. Appropriate action has been taken against the concerned. Further, instructions have been issued emphasizing strict adherence to the existing guidelines,” it said.
It adds, “BSNL employees are hereby advised to strictly follow the prescribed code of conduct and guidelines in this regard.”
Further, a senior BSNL officer based in Prayagraj told PTI that the incident “looks like an attempt to tarnish (our) image”. No further queries were answered, according to PTI.
Who is Vivek Banzal – the director at the center of the controversy?
On BSNL’s official website, Banzal is listed as Director – Consumer Fixed Access (CFA). He is a 1987 batch Indian Telecommunication Services officer and holds Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics, Master of Engineering in Computer Science and MBA.
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“He has over 34 years of experience in telecom network operations in India… Over the years, he has successfully implemented wireline broadband services and customer-centric innovations in the mobile segment,” he added.
According to the site, Banzal’s current responsibilities (as of 2016) include promotion and management of Bharat Fiber (BSNL’s FTTH services), BSNL IT framework and other services.
He also lists his achievements:
- It revived BSNL’s landline services and set new benchmarks with pan-India FTTH growth model.
- It has enabled 1 million users in over 40,000 villages with a usage of 12.3 million GB per month.
- His “never say REST” attitude and constant motivation led to the growth of BSNL’s landline business.
(With input from agencies)
