<p>Giving this information to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Communications Milind Deora Wednesday said the losses of Bharat Sanchar Nigam amounted to Rs.1,823 crore in 2009-10 and that for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam was placed at Rs.2,611 crore.<br /><br />Deora said several proposals were under consideration to make their operations viable once again, including the merger of these two entities. This apart, another proposal was to merge the loss-making Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) with Bharat Sanchar Nigam.<br /><br />"Bharat Sanchar Nigam has submitted a proposal to the department of telecommunications seeking financial assistance to run commercially unviable services, which is being examined in this department," Deora said in a written reply.<br /><br />The comment comes in the wake of the two companies only witnessing a marginal increase in the subscriber base, even as most of the dominant players in the private sector are continuing to witness huge additions to their client lists.</p>.<p>India has the second largest mobile telecom network in the world, after China, with 850 million subscribers.<br /><br />Deora said the authority that oversees the recast of loss-making state-run units, the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises has recommended either the merger of ITI or its takeover by Bharat Sanchar Nigam as a separate entity.</p>.<p>"The board has also recommended that there is no reason for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam to continue as a separate entity. This could be brought under BSNL as a subsidiary," he said.<br />A departmental committee is examining all issues, he added.</p>
<p>Giving this information to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Communications Milind Deora Wednesday said the losses of Bharat Sanchar Nigam amounted to Rs.1,823 crore in 2009-10 and that for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam was placed at Rs.2,611 crore.<br /><br />Deora said several proposals were under consideration to make their operations viable once again, including the merger of these two entities. This apart, another proposal was to merge the loss-making Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) with Bharat Sanchar Nigam.<br /><br />"Bharat Sanchar Nigam has submitted a proposal to the department of telecommunications seeking financial assistance to run commercially unviable services, which is being examined in this department," Deora said in a written reply.<br /><br />The comment comes in the wake of the two companies only witnessing a marginal increase in the subscriber base, even as most of the dominant players in the private sector are continuing to witness huge additions to their client lists.</p>.<p>India has the second largest mobile telecom network in the world, after China, with 850 million subscribers.<br /><br />Deora said the authority that oversees the recast of loss-making state-run units, the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises has recommended either the merger of ITI or its takeover by Bharat Sanchar Nigam as a separate entity.</p>.<p>"The board has also recommended that there is no reason for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam to continue as a separate entity. This could be brought under BSNL as a subsidiary," he said.<br />A departmental committee is examining all issues, he added.</p>