BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme - 22000 Employees shall opt VRS

22,000 BSNL Employees opt for Voluntary Retirement Scheme

BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme 2019

BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme Implementation 2019 and timely settlement of pension cases

BHARAT SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED
(A Govt. of India Enterprise)Corporate Office
Pension Section, 5th floor
Bharat Sanchar Bhawan
H.C. Mathur Lane
New Delhi-110001

No.48-13/2019-Pen (B)

Dated: 04-11-2019

To
All Heads of Circles/ Telecom Districts/ Regions/ Projects/
Telecom Stores/ Telecom Factories & Other Administrative Offices
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

Sub: Implementation of BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme, 2019 – Augmentation of staff strength in Pension Cells in Circles and other administrative units for smooth and timely settlement of pension cases.

Sir,
I am directed to invite your kind attention to this office letter no. 1-15/2009-PAT (BSNL) dated 04.11.2019 regarding introduction and implementation of BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme, 2019.

As per the said scheme, employees aged 50 years or above are eligible to opt for voluntary retirement w.e.f. 31.01.2020 and it is expected that a sizable number of eligible employees would be opting for voluntary retirement under the scheme. Consequently, the workload of the pension settlement units in circles and other administrative units are expected to increase manifold. Moreover, some of the eligible employees who are presently posted in pension settlement units may also opt for voluntary retirement under the scheme. It would, therefore, be necessary to arrange for suitable substitutes for such employees for maintaining continuity

In view of above, you are requested to ensure posting of suitable and sufficient number of Executives/ Non-Executives in sections handling pension settlement in Circle/ SSA at the earliest, so that the newly posted employees could be accustomed with the nature of work and pension cases can be processed and settled in timely manner.

Yours faithfully,
(Sheo Shankar Prasad)
Dy. General Manager (Estt.-l)

1. Eligibility Criteria :-

All regular employees, both absorbed and directly recruited, of BSNL who attains 50 years or above as on effective date of VRS, ie 31/01/2020, are eligible.

2. Important Dates :-

• Start of option : 04/11/2019
• Closing of option : 03/12/2019 up to 1730 hrs.

3. Benefits :-

• Ex-gratia- 35 days salary for each completed year of service+25 days salary for each year of service left, until superannuation, provided further ex-gratia shall not exceed the salary he/she would have drawn at the existing level for the service period left.
• For employees absorbed in BSNL under Rule 37A, ex-gratia shall be restricted to the amount which taken together with the pension that the employee would be drawing for the balance period left till superannuation. Provided further that the ex-gratia shall not exceed 125% of the salary of the employee would have drawn at the existing level for service period left.

4. Employees opting VRS are entitled for the terminal & other benefits under existing rules as below:-

i. For Absorbed employees :-

» Pension /Family Pension from the next day of effective date of VRS

» Retirement Gratuity :-

• For employees above 59 years- within one month from the date of attaining 60 years
• For employees 55 and below – in February 2025.

» Incase of death of the retired employee before due date of payment of gratuity , the amount shall be released immediately to family along with interest.

» Simple interest @GPF rates (currently 7.9%) will be paid till the date of release of gratuity

ii. For BSNL Recruited employees and those appointed under Rule 37, gratuity shall be paid without deferment.

iii. Commutation of Pension :-

Full pension will be paid till the employee opt for commutation as below:-

» For employees above 50 years- on attaining 60 years

» For employees 59 and below- on 01/02/2025.

iv. Encashment of EL /HPL, TA/DA to place of settlement after VRS, Retention of staff quarters, RTC, Post-retirement medical facilities allowed as per existing rules and procedures, amended from time to time.

5. The eligible employees are required to login to the ERP / ESS portal for exercising his option for seeking voluntary retirement under the BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme -2019. Physical copies in triplicate signed in blue ink by the employee concerned shall be submitted to the administrative office concerned, within three days of giving option in ESS.

The option once exercised under this Scheme shall be final and decision of the competent authority shall be binding on the employee(s). Provided that the employee(s) will be allowed to withdraw the option only once at any time till the closing time and date of option.

6. A help desk has been opened in Circle Office at 6 floor, C wing with CAO(FA). Eligible and interested employees can contact the help desk at 022-49780294, during normal office hours for assistance.

From News Media 

The employees who opt for voluntary retirement will receive 35 days salary for each completed year of service and 25 days of salary for every year of service left till superannuation

More than 22,000 employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) have opted for its Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) plan, just within two days of the state-owned corporation announcing the scheme. Of this, 13,000 employees belong to Group C category.

Last month, in order to revive the PSU telecom bodies, BSNL and MTNL, the government had decided to merge the two telcos and as part of the revival package, the government had come up with a four-step revival plan which also includes offering employees of both the subsidiaries a Voluntary Retirement Scheme.

In all, nearly one lakh BSNL employees are eligible for the VRS out of its total staff strength of 1.50 lakh. The scheme was rolled out on November 5 will be open till December 3. As per media reports, BSNL's internal target for the scheme is of 77,000 employees. 

As per the `BSNL Voluntary Retirement Scheme - 2019' all regular and permanent employees of BSNL including those on deputation to other organizations or posted outside BSNL on deputation basis, who are above the age of 50 years or above are eligible to seek voluntary retirement. The amount of ex-gratia for any eligible employee will be equal to 35 days salary for each completed year of service and 25 days salary for every year of service left until superannuation.

Meanwhile, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) too has rolled out a VRS for its employees. The scheme, based on the Gujarat Model of VRS, will be open for employees till December 3, 2019. All regular and permanent employees of 50 years and above as on January 31, 2020, are eligible to opt for the scheme.

The development comes as the government last month had approved a Rs 69,000 Cr crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL that includes merging the two loss-making firms, monetizing their assets and giving VRS to employees so that the combined entity turns profitable in two years. Through the VRS, BSNL is looking at savings of about Rs 7,000 Cr in wages, considering anywhere between 70,000-80,000 employees opt for it. Hopefully, the schemes will make some significant dent in the loss making sprees of the two firms. MTNL has reported losses in nine of the past 10 years and BSNL too has been ringing in losses since 2010. 

Meanwhile, things are not at all looking up for the telecom sector otherwise as well. The Indian telecom sector is facing about 40,000 job cuts in total over a period of six months. This analysis comes after the Supreme Court’s verdict that mandates telcos to pay upto Rs. 92,641 Cr to the Department of Telecom because of the AGR (adjusted gross revenues) dispute.