Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approached the Telecom Ministry asking whether the employees who had opted for the VRS can be 'rehired as consultants'

Employees from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) are facing a shortage of employees, as per the reports.

Reportedly the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approached the Telecom Ministry, seeking clarification whether the employees who had opted for the VRS can be “rehired as consultants”

Official communication of the DoT said, "This matter is presently under examination in DoT HQs (headquarters) and guidelines in this respect would be issued as and when the decision on this matter is taken. Till then, applications of retirees of BSNL/MTNL under VRS-2019 may not be considered for engagement as consultants.”

A senior government official said that the DoT has asked all the field and various attached offices to not go ahead with the recruitment of BSNL and MTNL staff who had taken VRS, as consultants, until the matter is examined thoroughly.

In October 2019, 78,569 employees out of the 1,53,000 had opted to retire, while at MTNL, as many as 14,400 employees, which then was nearly 80 per cent of the total staff strength at the company, had opted to retire.

As per the report, the first instalment of the VRS payments, or 50 per cent of the total payment was to be paid in 2020-21, while the second instalment will be paid during the current fiscal year.

Though several employees at BSNL and MTNL have received the first instalment of VRS payment, the second instalment has been mostly delayed owing to expenditure costs following the economic impact of Covid-19.