Says BoI chairman and managing director KV Krishnamurthy: "The entire purpose of VRS is lost. How can we take them back? They have resigned, have been relieved and taken their terminal dues. After sitting at home for a few days, they are finding it inconvenient and want to rejoin."

Rumours doing the rounds had it that BoI was unable to cope with the dwindling staff in their respective branches due to the VRS, which the employees opted in large numbers.

Quelling such rumours, Mr Krishnamurthy says: "There is no question of coping as we do not consider it as a problem. There was surplus work force, who have now retired. There are absolutely no repercussions. Seven thousand people have been relieved out of 7,800. All over the country about less than 100 people are continuing and will be relieved by March 31." Mr Krishnamurthy further added:"Some of the officers who are engaged in finalising the work at the terminal benefits and the departments are all busy in settling the accounts who have already resigned and voluntarily retired. People working in such departments have also put in their papers.

They are not relieved simultaneously, but the department has requested that they may be relieved after March 31. So those people are continuing till March 31 and they have no objections." Asked about the extra workload that staffers have been burdened with following the VRS by other bank staffers, Mr Krishnamurthy vociferously said:"There is no extra load for staffers.

Previously, about eight people were doing a job meant for four. Now, two are doing the same work. Even with all this, staffers are not overburdened and there is now optimum work for them."

Happy with the success of the VRS, Mr Krishnamurthy says:`` Work has not been increased. Instead of making them sit idle, as they were doing earlier, now they have work to do. Previously staffers were underemployed, now they are adequately employed. That is the basic objective of VRS". Mr Krishnamurthy further added that there were certain imbalances in many pockets - as rural areas were understaffed and overworked and metros were overstaffed and had no adequate work. "Now this imbalance is finallycorrected", Mr Krishnamurthy said.