Jamshedpur, May 16: There are no takers for BSNL jobs among the Indian Post and Telecom Accounts and Finance Services (IP&TAFS) cadre in Jharkhand.

Today was the last date for them to decide whether to stick to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) or opt for jobs in government telecom agencies.

Five IP&TAFS officers have been working in the Jharkhand telecom circle since 2000. Now, all of them have opted against staying on in BSNL.

Sources in the telecom circle said the five officials, who hold senior positions, have written to the Union telecom ministry and IP&TAFS Association, expressing their job preference.

Two of the officials are posted as joint controllers of communications, two as deputy general managers (finance and accounts) and one as general manager (finance).

Deputy general manager (finance and accounts) Kashinath Jha, who is posted in BSNL?s Jamshedpur circle, said more than 95 per cent of the officers from the cadre across the country has decided to hold on to their government jobs.

Altogether, IP&TAFS has 230 officers, of which only seven have decided to stick to BSNL. The other officers have opted for government agencies like the ministries of information and technology and broadcasting, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Communications Commission of India.

Jha said it is a challenge before the government to accommodate the officials as there are only a few vacancies. ?We are not ready to give up our gazetted status in lieu of the perks offered by BSNL. Moreover, we apprehend that BSNL might be privatised in the days to come,? he said, adding that the government could extend the deadline given the lukewarm response it received.