NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications has issued a show-cause notice to BSNL Director Vivek Banzal after a huge row over the protocol assigned to him for his visit to Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. The Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, called the incident “absurd,” “shocking,” and “beyond absurd.” The Director has seven days to reply to the show-cause notice.
"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,” said Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The row erupted after an internal office order detailing extensive preparations for BSNL Director Vivek Banzal’s planned Prayagraj visit surfaced online.
As per the order, around 20 tasks were assigned to nearly 50 officials. Upon arrival in Prayagraj, Banzal was scheduled to bathe at the Sangam, take a boat ride, and visit the Bade Hanuman Mandir, Akshayavat, and Patalpuri temples.
Banzal is an Indian Telecommunication Service officer of the 1987 batch. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics, a Master of Engineering in Computer Science, and an MBA. He has more than 34 years of experience handling telecom networks in India, according to data available on the BSNL website.