Question : VRS IN BALCO

(a) whether BALCO company has retired a large number of its employees by giving them Voluntary Retirement Scheme (V.R.S.);

(b) if so, whether the company has not made timely payment of V.R.S. amount to such employees;

(c) whether BALCO is not making payment to its private contractors even after they have fully executed their contracts;

(d) if so, since when the said payments have not been released; and

(e) the steps being taken by the Government against the BALCO company to ensure speedy payment to all the V.R.S. employees and contractors?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MINES (DR. T.SUBBARAMI REDDY)

(a)&(b): As informed by Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), out of 2733 Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) applications received after disinvestment/pending as on date of disinvestment, VRS applications of 2184 employees were accepted post disinvestment. All payments due on acceptance of VRS have been made and no amount is outstanding.

(c)&(d): The Company has informed that payments are made to the contractors in accordance with the agreed terms and conditions of contract(s).

(e): Does not arise in view of (a) to (d) above.