92,000 BSNL, MTNL employees opted for VRS scheme, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

Both companies are strategic assets and the government would make them more professional and profitable, he emphasised.

More than 92,000 employees of BSNL and MTNL have opted for voluntary retirement, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday as he asserted that the government will make the two telecom companies profitable as they are strategic assets. The Communications Minister told the Lok Sabha that the merger of BSNL and MTNL will have pan-India foot print, synergy in operations, reduction of fixed costs and overheads, among others.

The merger would resultantly help the two companies to "provide better quality services to customers on a pan-India basis," he said. During the Question Hour, the minister said over 92,000 employees