The merger would resultantly help the two companies to "provide better quality services to customers on a pan-India basis.
The PSUs had set December 3 as last date for employees to opt for VRS.
We want to revive them and make them professional, said Communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The government has approved a plum Rs 69,000-crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL.
BSNL is looking at savings of about Rs 7,000 crore in wage bill, if 70,000-80,000 personnel opt for the scheme.
n all, nearly one lakh BSNL employees are eligible for the VRS out of its total strength of about 1.50 lakh.
The numbers of VRS optees have been steadily rising since the plan was announced earlier this week.
In all, nearly one lakh BSNL employees are eligible for the VRS out of its total staff strength of 1.50 lakh.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, upheld the definition of adjusted gross revenue formulated by the Department of Telecom.
MTNL's scrip jumped 4.92 per cent to Rs 6.19 -- its upper circuit limit on the BSE.