Hair oil to underwear: BSNL calls off director's trip to Prayagraj after order of 'snaan kits' goes viral

After an internal office order of a BSNL Board’s senior director (CFA), Vivek Banzal made headlines, his proposed visit to Prayagraj has been cancelled. Along with this, a show-cause notice has been issued, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday.

He called Banzal's actions as "improper" and a "a violation of established rules and traditions."

Scindia, as per ANI report, said, "I have made it very clear that this is improper and a violation of established rules and traditions. It is unacceptable to me. It is shocking. A show-cause notice has already been issued to the Director with a seven-day response period. We will take appropriate action."

Banzal’s two-day trip was scheduled for February 25–26, according to the now-circulated order. However, officials assigned to oversee the arrangements confirmed on Tuesday that the visit had been called off.

The document outlined nearly 20 responsibilities distributed among 50 officials. Besides official engagements, the itinerary included a ritual bath at the Sangam, a boat ride, and visits to Bade Hanuman Mandir, Akshayavat, and Patalpuri temples.

The order specified the preparation of ‘snan’ kits containing a towel, undergarment, slippers (spelt as ‘sleeper’ in the document), comb, mirror, and oil bottle. It further directed that six male kits, comprising of towel, underwear, mirror, comb, soap, shampoo and oil, and two female kits be arranged. A bed sheet for general use at the ghat was also listed among the requirements.

Additional instructions for accommodation at the hotel and Circuit House included setting up dry fruit and fruit bowls, along with a “saving kit (shaving kit),” towel, toothpaste, brush, soap, shampoo, comb and oil.

Amid the controversy, a senior BSNL officer in Prayagraj told PTI, “The entire incident appears to be an attempt to tarnish (our) image,” and declined to comment further.

Responding to the backlash, BSNL India, on February 21, addressed the issue on X. The company said, “BSNL has standing instructions in place regarding the manner in which official visits are to be handled. An instance of non-adherence to the same has been taken note of. The instance noted is not in conformity with the professional standards and values of BSNL.

The company further reiterated, "Appropriate action has been taken against the concerned."

"Further, instructions have been issued reiterating strict adherence to extant instructions. BSNL employees are reminded to strictly adhere to prescribed conduct rules and instructions in this regard," the post read.

According to information available on the BSNL website, Banzal is a 1987-batch Indian Telecommunication Service officer with over 34 years of experience in managing telecom networks across India. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics, a Master of Engineering in Computer Science, and an MBA.

“Since 2016, he has been promoting and managing Bharat Fiber (BSNL's FTTH services), BSNL IT framework, and other services. His vision has led to the digitization of processes and the introduction of innovative solutions for customers,” the website noted.