Archives-News
OUR TRIBUTES
Today, we pay our respectful tributes to late Com. Om Prakash Gupta,
on the seventh anniversary of his death on 6th January, in 2013 at the age of 90 years.
Copy of the DPE order is forwarded to 42 CPPCs of 23 banks all over the country.
Click here to see the DPE order :ida-january-2020.pdf
IDA INCREASE BY 5.3% AGAIN
Yesterday evening, the Labour Bureau of India has released the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers for the month of November 2019. It is 328 points. 3 points increased from October.
Average for the three months (Sept, Oct, and Nov. 2019) is 325.
Based on the above, it can be assessed that IDA rate will increase from existing 152% to 157.3% from January 2020.
CDA RATE
CDA will also increase from January 2020. But that will be known only on 31-01-2020.
CDA is calculated on the basis of average Index for 12 months; January-December 2019. The Index for December will be announced only on 31-1-2020. Existing rate of CDA from July 2019 is 17%. It may increase to 21% from January, 2020.
Dear Comrades,
Happy New Year to you.
Calendar is a concept only. In India itself we had different new Year Days and different Calendars. In the Calendar, we get in Kerala, four Dates are shown; 1) Roman Calendar date 2)Saka Varsha date 3) Hijara Date and 4) Malayalam (Kollam) date. Old people, especially in our villages, follow their traditional calendar for rituals.
Today is the first day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar, introduced from 15-10-1582 by the Pope Gregory modifying the Julian calendar that existed for 1600 years. Both are known as Roman Calendars.
Many people think that now 2020 years have passed since cruzification of Jesus Christ. It is not correct. Because Julian calendar was modified several times. Originally the year started with March; then changed to January. The seventh month was named after Emperor Julius Caesar of Rome. Hence known as July. After some time his grand nephew Augustus Caesar took over the reins. The eighth month was named after him and known as August. Not only that. Since July had 31 days August was also given 31 days modifying the system. So, it need not be exactly 2020 years.
It is a concept only.This Gregorian Calendar was imposed on us by British rule.It is now universally accepted and hence is the only standard one approved by Governments all over the world.
INDIAN TELECOM IN 2020
Analysts say that 2020 will be a tough year for all Telcos in India. Some companies will exit from the field. Some will survive.
The article in Business Standard on 30, December 2019 states that Vodafone Idea has lost 3.66 crore subscribers in the previous month. The company is facing the largest loss. Bharti Airtel is also in trouble. After VRS, the BSNL will face the problem of acute staff shortage. When the management is very stiff, how many VRS retirees will go back and work on contract basis?
Both the employees and retirees have to struggle a lot. We have crossed many rough waters. We shall move ahead. Let us face the challenge. Let us make it a memorable year. Move to 2020 with confidence and determination to settle our demands.
…. P S Ramankutty
01-01-2020
Namaskar to everyone ,
Today on 23-12-19 , Com. PSR ,our CHQ President ,a great personality and an excellent human being I have come across till now, has come to visit me third time after my suffering started . Com. Changappa is always with me during my difficult days.
Through this message today I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone not only in our Association but also the members of the CBMPA Constituents. I strongly believe that but for the prayers of thousands and thousands of my well-wishers , perhaps , I would not have found a solution for the terrible suffering I had undergone, so early.
Anyway , I would like to inform everyone that I am on my way of recovery. It is slow but definitely steady. Stitches will be removed on 27-12-19. Then the recovery may pick up little faster.
With great difficulty and pain I prepared this message on my phone. For the time being ,.I profusely thank each and everyone ONCE AGAIN.
...
P Gangadhara Rao GS , AIBSNLPWA
and CONVENOR , CBMPA.
Today, I am going to Bangalore. On 23rd I will attend the Pensioners Day celebration there and will visit our GS who is taking rest after a major surgery. Thereafter I will consult some doctors in Bangalore. Depending upon the medical advice I will stay back or go to my native place during Christmas holidays and come back to Trivandrum on 31-12-2019.
Till then, there is a break.
.........................................................P S Ramankutty
HAPPY NEWS
Our GS, Com. Gangadhara Rao, took Ayurvedic treatment for three weeks in a hospital at Palakkad in Kerala for the severe pain on spinal cord. Finding no relief desired, he went back to Bangalore, consulted the specialists in the Mahavir Jain hospital there. On their advice he underwent a surgery. Now he is better and improving slowly. Bandage is to be removed on 27-12-2019. Still, he may have to take rest for one or two months to be normal. I will meet him in Bangalore on 23-12-2019 instant.
Comrades,
This year, large number of our branches in the entire country observed Pensioners Day on 17, December 2019 enthusiastically. Keeping the tradition, Andhra branches organized charity activities on the day visiting orphanages, poor homes, Old age homes and distributing food items, clothes, study materials etc. Other branches held meetings and explained the importance of Nakara case, its impact on the pension system in India since 1982 and paid homage to the two people - Mr. D S Nakara and Mr. H D Shourie – who brought these changes through legal fight and also to the eminent judges - late Justices Y V Chandrachud, D A Desai, O Chinnappa Raddy, V D Tulsapurkar and Bahrul Islam.
Since 17th evening till 8 AM today, I received 362 photos of the meetings. I was on tour to some stations for attending pensioners’ day meetings. On 17th night, while waiting for the train in Kottayam railway station for about two hours in the night, I uploaded all the photos received in the whatsapp groups. Some photos could not be downloaded. Some photos were repeated by the branches.
For e.g.; I received 20 photos of Ajmer three times. STR branch sent 28 photos. it shows their enthusiasm but it was a difficult job to sort out and delete duplication sitting in the railway station.
Hence, now, I am left with the only option to upload some photos showing the mass of pensioners attending the function. Names of stations are not given to avoid mistakes. Please bear with me .. P S Ramankutty
17, December is a memorable day for all the pensioners of india, be from Central Service or State service or from PSUs.
It is on 17, December 1982 that the Supreme Court of India delivered is landmark judgement in famous Nakara Case. The judgement is treated as magna carata of Indian pensioners. We have written lot of the judgement and the case. Hence not repeated here. Let us remember Shri D S Nakara the man behind the Case. He was not a Trade unionist. He was an officer in Defence ministry. He fought against discrimination, against injustice caused by an order of the Government of India issued on 25th May 1979 introducing a Liberalized Pension Scheme. Pensioners retired before 31-3-1974 were denied the benefit of the new scheme. Nakara, retired before that cut of date was denied the benefit . Hence he filed the case.
D S Nakara
Shri H D Shourie, the man of Public Interest Litigation helped Shri Nakara in preparing the petition. Basic issues concerning pension were raised in the petition that compelled the Supreme Court make very important observations on pension in the judgement.
H D Shourie
The five eminent judges who were the icons of Judicial activism in India delivered the judgement. They are Justice Y V Chandrachud, the chief justice then, Justice D A Desai, Justice O Chinnappa Reddy, Justice V D Tulsapurkar and Justice Bahrul Islam.
OBSERVE PENSIONERS DAY TOMORROW, 17 DECEMBER
Some friends ask what is Cause of Action in legal terms? How much important it is? Following is quoted from the Law journal:
..." The term Cause of Action refers to a set of facts or allegations that make up the grounds for filing a lawsuit. A Cause of Action is therefore by its very nature essential to a Civil Suit, since without a Cause of Action a Civil Suit cannot arise.
The parties being represented in the suit need not have the same cause of action as the person they are being represented by. The plaint must mention the cause of action if it is to be instituted as a suit. Thus, it can be seen from the beginning that not only is a Cause of Action an important part of the Civil Suit but is in essence the reason that the civil suit exists in the first place. Any claim that is made in the suit flows from the cause of action, and as is stated by the above mentioned part of the code, the claims made must be with respect to the cause of action from whence they arise."
Many people, while going to the Court, used to say "going to file an injustice" in the colloquial language. It means they are going to report an injustice/injury by an action of another person, or authority or the government. They seek justice from the Court. Court will intervene only if an injustice or injury is pointed out. If you file a suit asking the Government to issue a new order for revising pension the Court may not accept the suit or may direct the Government to look into the matter. Back to square One. If some benefit is given to others and not given to you, it becomes an injustice. Court has to give its decision. So an action is essential for the Court to examine if that is justified as per law or not. It is Court of Law. NEED NOT BE COURT OF JUSTICE ALWAYS.
In our opinion, the answer given by the learned minister on our pension revision is an injustice.
Everybody knows that pension is being paid from Central Civil Estimate to the the retirees of BSNL and MTNL directly by the Government and that there is no link between pension and fiscal condition of BSNL the company under the Government. But, unfortunately the learned Minister for Communications, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, has given an answer in the Rajya Sabha yesterday that Pension revision is not possible because pay revision is not possible in BSNL due to poor financial condition of the company. STRANGE IT IS.
Please click here to see the question and answer: No Pay revision, No Pension Revision ?
On 9-12-2019, a delegation consisting of Com. DG, Com. Vittoban, Com. Changappa and seven comrades of Hubli had a discussion with MoC Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad on our demand for pension revision. It was arranged by Shri Pralhad Joshi, minister for parliamentary affairs in his chamber itself in Parliament House.
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad seems to be influenced/misinformed by the DoT officers who are totally negative to pensioners. Minister is too much worried about BSNL. He asks us to wait till BSNL earns some profit!! We told him that there is no link between our pension and BSNL profit. But he is not prepared to listen further. He is a minister. He is a lawyer. He does not reject our demand. Nor he concedes it also.
In our last CWC meeting at Kanyakumari in February 2019 we discussed the matter and decided to resort to legal remedy if all other attempts to get a decision from government fail. It is the last resort. We are aware of the pitfalls of court case. Case is not for asking revision order. Case can be against injustice. DOP&PW has already issued orders for pension revision of all those who are covered by CCS Pension Rule 1972. We are denied the benefits of that order even though we are also covered by the said rule. It is discrimination, naked injustice. There is cause of action for the Court to intervene.
Court Case means delay. We have to explore all other possibilities again and again. We should take legal opinion from two or more lawyers. We shall meet advocates at different stations and then finally take a decision at Gorakhpur CWC in March 2020. We shall continue our efforts. We will fight for justice. When Govt does not do justice, judiciary is the only shelter for common man.
We are happy to receive the message through Com. G S Bajwa, CS, Punjab that a new branch of AIBSNLPWA has been opened at the beautiful town of Palampur, Himachal Pradesh in a meeting held on 5-12-2019.
Comrades Kishori Lal Sharma, Om Prakash, Sarwan Singh Rana, Chuni Lal and Yog Raj are elected as President, Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
22 comrades have enrolled as life members of the new branch.
CHQ Welcome the new branch, the new members.
NEXT CWC MEETING AT GORAKHPUR UP
Next meeting of CWC of AIBSNLPWA will be held on 15-16, March 2020 at Gorakhpur, UP.Formal notice has been posted to all CWC members. Same is posted in CWC Group, Whatsapp also. Venue and accommodation for CWC members are arranged at Chitra Gupta Mandir, Near Government Jubilee Inter College, Buxipur Road, Gorakhpur. It is 2 KMs away from Gorakhpur Jn Railway Station and 10 KMs away from the new Gorakhpur Airport. The accommodation will be available from 14 to 17.Visitors and Observers , if any, have to make their own arrangements.All CWC members are requested to reserve their tickets, to and fro, well in time.
P Gangadhara Rao,General Secretary.
The time prescribed by BSNL for opting VRS was 5.30 PM on 3-12-2019. Out of the 1,53,786 staff 78,569 have opted for VRS. 5237 people who opted earlier have withdrawn before the prescribed time.
75,217 people will remain in service of BSNL. 8403 of them are in the age group of 58-60 years.
Some message is being circulated in whatsapp groups that DoT is not happy with the number of options as it did not reach the target of 80,000. Hence the DoT is thinking of reducing the retirement age to 58 so that 8000 more can be sent out.
We have no idea if it is true of not. These days, anybody can spread any rumour.
About 650 ITS officers are still in BSNL on deputation. They have not joined the BSNL even after 19 years. It is also reported that BSNL has requested DoT to deploy another 200 ITS officers to BSNL to face the post VRS situation.
Strange indeed. Without field staff how can the BSNL provide the telephone service in the rural India? Who will go to the field when there are some natural calamities, as pointed by Minister Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad?
The year 2020 will be very crucial for Indian telecom service, for BSNL company, for BSNL staff and for BSNL retirees.
Click here to see the details vrs-final.pdf
Kerala circle Conference was held on 15th October 2019. At that time orders on VRS were not issued. But anticipating such a development the Circle conference decided to hold special general body meetings or conventions in all SSAs. Accordingly all district Units have completed the organizational task. Number of VRS optees attended these meetings and raised number of queries. In addition to Circle leaders, CHQ leaders in Kerala like P S Ramankutty, R N Pada Nair and Smt A P Saraswathy participated in the meetings and explained various aspects of Revival and VRS. .
few photos
WE REPORT WITH DEEP SORROW THAT OUR AGS COM S. ARUNACHALAM EXPIRED ON 26-11-19 AT TRICHY AT HIS DAUGHTERS HOUSE. HE WAS 73.
A MAN OF WIT AND WISDOM, COM ARUNACHALAM WAS A SOFT SPOKEN DEDICATED LEADER, WITH DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF RULES AND ISSUES AND LONG EXPERIENCE IN TU. IT IS A GREAT LOSS FOR US.
HE HAD RECENTLY COMPILED THE PROCEDURES AND RULES REGARDING SWITCHING OVER TO CGHS FOR THE BENEFIT OF BSNL PENSIONERS. HE ATTENDED THE TAMILNADU PENSION ADALAT AT KUMBAKONAM TWO DAYS BACK. THEN HE PROCEEDED TO HIS DAUGHTERS HOUSE AT TRICHY. HE SUDDENLY DEVELOPED SOME UNEASINESS AND ON THE WAY TO HOSPITAL HE COLLAPSED. HIS BODY IS TAKEN TO HIS NATIVE PLACE AT TIRUNELVELI WHERE THE FUNERAL WILL BE HELD.
WE HAVE A LOST A COMMITTED LEADER.
AIBSNLPWA CHQ CONVEYS OUR DEEP RESPECTS FOR THE LEADER.
As Com. Gangadhara Rao and myself are unable to go to Tirunelveli, Com. D Gopalakrishnan and Com. Muthiyalu will go and represent CHQ in the funeral of our beloved comrade today....
WITH DEEP REGRET WE REPORT THE DEMISE OF COM V.A.HARSULKAR FORMER GENERAL SECRETARY OF T3 UNION AT DELHI TODAY HE WAS 94
AIBSNLPWA PAYS ITS RESPECTS
COM. K MUTHIYALU, Dy GS BEING FELICITATED
COM R H MITKARY AND COM. H S PRASAD LIGHT THE LAMP
COMRADES S K JAIN, B P S CHAUHAN AND M P TIWARI ARE ELECTED AS
CIRCLE PRESIDENT, CIRCLE SECRETARY AND CIRCLE TREASURER RESPECTIVELY.
COM. J S DAHIYA, AGS SPEAKS
COM. J S MALIK, CS PRESENTS THE REPORT
COMRADES J S DAHIYA, J S MALIK AND RAM PHOOL ARE ELECTED AS
CIRCLE PRESIDENT, CIRCLE SECRETARY AND CIRCLE TREASURER RESPECTIVELY.