Muristek
New Delhi, February 9
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the BSNL and MTNL were in such poor shape when the NDA government assumed power in 2014 that it would take a while to get the public sector companies back on rails.
Answering questions about the health of the firms in Lok Sabha today, Vaishnaw said the two firms have come into operating profits after several years and work was underway to strengthen them through the allocation of 4G and 5G spectrum to BSNL.
"The poor state in which BSNL was left, it will take time to fix things. After many years BSNL and MTNL have come into operating profits. Already 4G has been given to BSNL. Rollout will happen this year. There is no magician. All of us are trying. Our intentions are clear," Vaishnaw said in LS.
Aiming at the opposition side, the minister said, "BSNL and MTNL were profit making during NDA rule until 2004. You answer what happened to the companies.
He said BSNL will revive and grow but it will take time.
"The market share of BSNL was 7.5 pc when we left. It has now again risen to over 10 pc. What to do. The balance sheet was such that Swachh Bharat Abhiyan chalaate chalaate hi kuch hoga (it will take a while to clean up the sheet)."