Perform or go home taking VRS: Telecom Minister to BSNL employees

According to reports, Telecom Minister Ashwin Vaishnaw sent a strong message to BSNL staff regarding their work performance, warning them that while the government supports the struggling PSU, they must perform their jobs more effectively or there may be repercussions. The Union Communications Minister allegedly gave the BSNL personnel "one of the toughest signals ever," warning them to "perform and turnaround within the next 24 months, or go home taking voluntary retirement scheme (VRS)," according to a report published in The Economic Times.

The Telecom Minister added that "perform or perish" would become the standard and the new normal, and those who hesitate to enrol in VRS risk being forced into retirement under the provisions of 56(J) of the law. According to the report, in order to strengthen the administration, the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J)/(I) of the Central government framework permits such a move following a periodic assessment.

The Telecom Minister told chief general managers from all operating service areas that the government supports BSNL and urged its 62,000 employees to show the same degree of dedication. According to a story in The Economic Times, Vaishnaw remarked, "I will measure key performance indicators (KPI) and results in every month, and those who won't work may go home taking VRS."

According to a source in the Economic Times, the Telecom Minister remarked in a 15.38-minute viral audio recording, "You (BSNL personnel) are working in a competitive market, and only your efforts can save you. We want to see outcomes within the next 24 months. We now demand 100 times better response times than private telecom providers, a completely superb performance from every single worker, as well as tidy and clean offices.