This can be the most upsetting news for 1.6 lakh BSNL employees.
As per reports coming in, Finance Ministry wants BSNL to shut down, and terminate 1.6 lakh employees to save costs.
And the most interesting part: Govt. wants to save money by not giving any VRS package to all the terminated employees.
How will it work?
Govt Of India: Let’s Shut Down BSNL
After Finance Ministry rejected BSNL’s Rs 74,000 crore revival package, now they want BSNL to shut down.
Once this decision is taken, all BSNL employees will be asked to leave, and there is no plan for providing VRS or Voluntary Retirement Scheme for everyone.
As per some insiders, in case Govt. wants to disinvest in BSNL, and invite private players to run the company, there won’t be many who would be interested.
And Rs 74,000 crore bailout package is too much for Govt. to spend.
This leaves only one option: Shut down BSNL.
VRS Scheme Not For All
The special committee which had proposed a bailout package of Rs 74,000 crore had argued that if BSNL is shut down, then Govt. needs to spend Rs 95,000 crore.
Now, this figure of Rs 95,000 crore has proved to be wrong.
In case Govt. decides to shutdown BSNL, then not everyone will be offered a VRS package.
There are three types of employees in BSNL: Indian Telecommunications Officers, who would be redeployed to other Govt. departments.
Junior technical staff, who have been directly hired, and are too young for any retirement package. They are less than 10% of the total staff strength.
And the third type, which have been absorbed from other Govt. departments, and PSUs, and most of them are hovering around 50-60 years of age.
Govt. will need to spend some money to provide them VRS, which is certainly not Rs 95,000 crore.
We have already reported that BSNL has once again delayed September salary and the future looks bleak for 1.6 lakh BSNL employees right now.
We are awaiting more details in this regard.