Handshake Bill Tots Up To Rs 2,346 Crore

Expenditure charged to the profit & loss account of 26 public sector banks (PSBs) on account of voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) was Rs 2,346 crore in financial year 2001-02 as against Rs 3,007 crore in the previous year. Barring Corporation Bank, all other PSBs had offered golden handshake to their employees in 2000-01.

The total VRS cost as on March 31, 2002, for the 26 PSBs was at Rs 12,300 crore. The balance of deferred revenue expenditure related to VRS as on March-end 2002 of the 26 PSBs stood at Rs 6,947 crore.

A total of 1,01,545 staff from 26 PSBs have been relieved under the separation scheme. Of this, 82,976 were relieved as on March 31, 2001, and 18,569 as on March 31, 2002.

Prior to the VRS, the staff strength of these banks was 8,63,214 and as on March 31, 2002, the employee strength stood at 7,46,810. Staff relieved as a percentage of total strength as on March 31, 2000, was 11.76 per cent.

The 26 banks' average business per employee, as on March 31, 2000, was Rs 1.23 crore, rose to Rs 1.54 crore by March 31, 2001, and to Rs 1.88 crore by March 31, 2002. In percentage terms, the growth in average business per employee was 19 per cent in FY 1999-2000, 26 per cent in 2000-01, and 22 per cent in 2001-02.

In FY 2001-02, the average business per employee recorded was maximum in case of Oriental Bank of Commerce at Rs 3.18 crore and the lowest in case of the State Bank of Mysore at Rs 1.25 crore.