Archives-News
REVIVAL OF BSNL AND MTNL
According to media reports, the proposal for revival of BSNL and MTNL is before the Cabinet to take a final call. Earlier, it was reported that Finance Ministry has raised some objections to pumping in huge amount to the companies.
The Group of Ministers headed by all powerful Home Minister Shri Amit Shah and attended by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman cleared the proposal. Still, the officials in Finance Ministry have recorded their objections.
Now, it is understood that DoT has submitted the Cabinet Note containing the proposal and the objections from finance ministry. In the meantime, the new principal secretary to PM is meeting top officers of various departments and CMD of BSNL today to discuss the matter.
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Centre has notified amendments to grant enhanced pension to families of government employees dying after serving less than seven years. The amended pension rules will apply to families of all government employees, including those of Central Armed Police Forces personnel.
The amendments to the Rule 54 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 will come into effect from October 1, 2019. The families of government servants who died before completion of service of seven years within 10 years before October 1, 2019, will also be eligible for family pension at enhanced rates.
The amendment mandates that families of government employees who passed away before completing seven years of service will receive 50 per cent of last pay drawn for 10 years as pension. Earlier in case of their deaths, families of government employees who rendered at least seven years of service received 50 per cent of the last pay drawn as pension. For those, who had served less than seven years were eligible to receive 30 per cent of the last pay drawn.
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Note: above amendment mainly helps the armed forces. In central civil services cases of dying in harness before completing seven years are very less. But, in armed forces, especially where our Jawans working in areas affected by extremists activities or in the border areas, there are many cases of such deaths. The new amendment helps the families of such Jawans who lost their lives in the service of nation....PSR
A report in Economic times on 19-9-2019 says:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked all government pension paying banks to compensate pensioners, at a fixed rate of 8 percent per annum for delay in credit of their pension, revised pension or pension arrears for the delay after the due date of payment.
The above advisory forms part of RBI's master circular on disbursement of government pension by banks. The advisory was issued following complaints from pensioners claiming unreasonable delay in disbursement of pension and arrears.
The RBI circular states:
- Pension paying banks should compensate the pensioner for delay in crediting pension/ arrears thereof at a fixed interest rate of 8 per cent per annum for the delay after the due date of payment and the compensation shall be credited to the pensioner's account automatically without any claim from the pensioner on the same day when the bank affords credit for revised pension/ pension arrears, in respect of all delayed pension payments made..
Today, it is 19 September. 51 years ago on 19-9-1968, central government employees went on a token strike for one day demanding Need Based Minimum wage etc.They did not attend the work for one day. The government led by late Smt. Indira Gandhi suppressed the agitation with all forces at its command. 17 comrades were killed in firing, lathcharge etc. Thousands were suspended from service. Thousands more were terminated. Thousands were transferred from one place to another. Some leaders also betrayed the workers. It is history now.
Just for not attending the office for a day. Now, despite employees attended and worked for 31 days, Management delayed their wages for 19 days. Management struck work for 19 days in BSNL and for 50 days in MTNL !!!
All forgot the Need Based Minimum wage.
All forgot the Martyrs of that struggle.
But, no struggle goes in vain. Many of us are products of that struggle. We were made stronger like steel due to the sufferings of those days. Our direction was changed. Our approach to life was changed.
On this day, let us pay homage to those comrades who did the extreme sacrifice.
Let us not forget history. We enjoy the decent pension now and a decent life because of the struggles …. PSR
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In the eighth membership Verification to recognize unions of non-executive staff in BSNL, BSNLEU has once again emerged as the biggest organization securing 48127 Votes out of total 110973 votes. Their voting share is reduced; may be because no alliance was permitted this time. BSNLEU leads in 21 Circles out of 36.
NFTE BSNL has emerged as the second biggest organization, eligible to be recognized again with 39132 votes. There is an increase in their voting share.
Thus two organizations are qualified with more than 35% votes.
(We regret that some inadeartent mistakes occured in our posting yesterday, which was given based on earlier figures.)
The results have exposed the real strength of all the organizations participated in the verification.
Ten organizations could not cross the figure of 1 percent.
WE CONGRATULATE LEADERS OF BSNLEU AND NFTE.
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An article appeared in the Website of Financial Express at 8 PM on 16-9-2019 is given here for the benefit of our readers. Those who are well versed with IT rules may please point out if there is any mistake in it. ....PSR
To see the Article please click here: it-rebate-for-senior-citizens1.pdf
Following figures show how much Non Executive staff has been reduced during the past.
Total voters and Reduction from previous verification
FIRST MV........................298432 ..........................NA
SECOND MV ..................283919 ..........................14513
THIRD MV ......................265413.......................... 18506
FOURTH MV ..................248278 ..........................17135
FIFTH MV ......................229690 ...........................18588
SIXTH MV ......................204468........................... 25222
SEVENTH MV ................163820 ...........................40648
8TH MV on 16-9-19....... 110977 ...........................52843
For the Statement please click here: pmnrf-chq.xlsx
| Dear Comrades, This year, the monsoon rains have created havoc in many states – Andhra, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Jammu, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Telangana, UP, Uttrakhand …. It is quite unusual. It is an extra ordinary situation. Thanks to technology and timely warnings, lacs of people could be evacuated from their residences affected by floods. But, still hundreds have died. There is huge loss of property, crops and lifelong savings; some of which can never be regained. It is time for us, as senior human beings who have seen many a tides in life, to help those suffering. As a WELARE organization we have done it in the past during floods/cyclones in Andhra, Chardham, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Tamilnadu etc. Let us declare the month of September 2019 as PMNRF donation drive month. As almost 20 states are affected this time, we cannot restrict the relief to any particular state. We must contribute maximum to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). We wish to make over our contribution to a Cabinet Minister in a function at a suitable place. The amount should be sufficiently impressive. If we collect at least Rs 100 per head from each member, we can easily contribute Rs 50 lacs. Rs 100 per head means only Rs 5 for each State. But our activists may not be able to approach all the 50,000 members. Hence, some comrades willing can donate more. No amount is small and no amount is more in relief work in the given situation. It is our duty as senior citizens. And, just imagine the Goodwill that we may gain throughout the country. I request all the activists at every level to take this Noble cause seriously. It will not be an impossible target to reach. We have 30 long days before us. Please start the work today and now itself. (General Secretary), 29--8--2019 |
NATURE GIVES US ALL THE AIR, THE WATER, THE LIGHT IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR REGION, RELIGION, AND ALL THAT DISTANCES MAN FROM MAN.
WHEN NATURE IS FURIOUS, ALL OF US FACE ITS IMPACT IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR RELIGION, REGION AND ALL THAT.
Recent heavy rains and floods have affected crores of people all over the country.
IN ANDHRA AND ASSAM
IN BIHAR AND CHHATISGARH
IN DELHI AND GUJARAT
IN HARYANA AND HIMACHAL
IN JAMMU, KARNATAKA
IN KERALA , IN MAHARASTRA
IN MP AND PUNJAB
IN RAJASTHAN AN TAMILNADU
IN HYDERABAD AND UTHRAKHAND
AND IN UP ALSO....
IT IS TIME FOR US TO BE HUMANE.
IT IS TIME TO ORGANIZE RELIEF.
We have received large number of photographs taken on the occasion of the Tenth anniversary celebrations of AIBSNLPWA branches last week. We could not upload the photos immediately as some of us were out of station. We cannot upload all photos because some branches have sent even 20 photos of same function. We understand and appreciate their enthusiasm and spirit. Some comrades sent the photos taken on their mobile, some others on camera. Size of photos is different, quality also differs. So, while uploading all photo together we could not edit everything.
AGRA UPW
ANANTAPUR AP
ARA BIHAR
ARUNDELPET AP
ASSAM
ALAPPUZHA- KERALA
BATALA PUNJAB
BANGALORE
BHAVNAGAR GUJARAT
BHIMADOLE AP
CALICUT KERALA
CANNANORE KERALA
CHICKMAGALURU KARNATAKA
COIMBATORE TN
CUDDALORE TN
CHENNAI STR -TN
DHURI PUNJAB
ERNAKULAM KERALA
ELURU AP
GADAG KARNATAKA
GUNTUR AP
GUDIVADA AP
HUBLI KARNATAKA
JABALPUR MP
JALANDHAR PUNJAB
KARAIKUDI TN
KATNI MP
KHANNA PUNJAB
KUMBAKONAM TN
LUDHIANA PUNJAB
MAHARASTRA CIRCLE CONFERENCE AT NAGPUR ON 20-8-2019
MADRAS, JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY CHENNAI TD AND TAMILNADU CIRCLES.
MADURAI Tamilnadu
MANGALURU KTA
NAWANSHAHR PUNJAB
NAGERCOIL TN
NELLORE AP
ODISHA CIRCLE CONFERENCE HELD ON 20-8-2019
PALAKKAD KERALA
PATIALA PUNJAB
PATNA BIHAR
PONDICHERRY TN
RANCHI JHARKHAND
RAJPURA PUNJAB
ROHTAK HARYANA
SALEM EAST TN
SALEM WEST TN
SAMBALPUR ODISHA
SRIKAKULAM AP
STR CHENNAI TN
TANUKU AP
TATANAGAR - JHARKHAND
TENALI AP
THANJAVUR TN
THIRUNELVELI TN
TRICHY
TRIVANDRUM KERALA
VIJAYAAWADA AP
VILLIVAKKAM CHENNAI TD
VIRUDHUNAGAR TN
VISAKHAPATNAM AP
VIZIANAGARAM AP
.................................
A VERY SPECIAL APPEAL
Dear Comrades,
People in different parts of our country face the nature’s fury. There were devastating natural disasters in the past.They were confined to a state or some areas. This time it is unusual and unprecedented; all pervading and widespread. Heavy rain made many a rivers like Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Narmada, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Tapti, Pampa etc ferocious. It caused floods, landslides and total destruction in Assam, Andhra, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharastra, Orissa, Tamilnau, Telangana etc. It has affected cities and villages alike. Lakhs of people have to flee their places leaving behind everything except carrying their lives. Everything they earned through hard labour during the last 30 or 40 years is lost in 30 or 40 minutes/seconds. Many of them can never recapture the loss. Some settlements have disappeared totally in landslides. Dead bodies are still under the mud even after 10 days. Some are beyond recovery.
BSNL also lost a lot. The landlines and towers erected through 30/40 years are destroyed instantly. Private companies disappeared from the scene, as usual. Again, our men are in the field reconstructing the network. We witness heroes of National Disaster Management teams and large number of youngsters engaged in rescue operations. Caste, creed, region, religion – nothing stand in their way of service. It is India.
It is not the time to probe into the cause and accuse anybody. It is time to help the victims. AIBSNLPWA organized relief in the past. But, this time, we cannot assess the level of calamity or casualty or the loss. We cannot extend the help to any particular State as people of many states are affected. We cannot hold meetings of CWC or Secretariat immediately. Therefore, in consultation over phone with our CHQ President and some other CHQ office-bearers, it is decided to collect Relief Fund immediately from all Circle and District Units and make over the amount to the Prime Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (PMDRF).
It has to be done immediately, on war-footing urgency. I, on behalf of our CHQ, call upon all our Circle/District Secretaries to transfer considerable amounts from their funds to CHQ account for the purpose. It should be done immediately, before 30th September 2019, latest. CHQ shall make over the entire fund so received to the PMDRF in a gathering.
Note: After transferring the amount please inform CHQ Treasurer through phone/whatsapp/email.
With greetings,
P GANGADHARA RAO, General Secretary
FANI FUND: On 16-8-2019, representing our Odisha Circle unit, Comrades B N Behera, A P Mohapatra, Sricharan Mohanty, B D Panda and Sarat Mohanty, handing over a Cheque of Rs 2.2 lakh to Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, being the second installment of our donations to help the victims of FANI cyclone.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GREETINGS TO
ALL OUR VISITORS
Dear PGR, PSR
Mr. Mistry (GS of BDPA) has justified his nasty letter to Minister, through a posting in his website today, saying:
“….It is democracy and each one and every one has right to place his/her points before all concern. ….”
According to his democracy the Ministers should not grant meetings to people placing aside their (means Ministers') party politics! In our democracy, Ministers grant meetings to all who approach them, if time permits. In the past, the Congress Ministers also had done it.
CBMPA or AIBSNLPWA is not controlled by any Party or by any central trade union. It encompasses all shades of political views. AIBSNLPWA leaders met the minister for the cause of pensioners, not for any political purpose. Mr. Mistry wants to damage any prospect of Minister settling our long pending demand. That mischief should be defeated by all BSNL pensioners. Let him place his demand, Nobody bothers.
All our Districts Units should pass resolutions condemning the letter of Mistry and exposing the petty politics of this leader of Gujarat Association. Copy of the resolutions should be sent to the MOC also. Please give call through our website
R N Pada Nair, AGS at Kochi.
General Secretary of BDPA, Shri D.D.Mistry has written a letter to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon. MoC on 6-7-2019 on the subject of “Pension Revision for BSNL Pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2017 as per 3rd PRC recommendations”.It was a lengthy letter with 22 paras. (He has published the same in his journal and website.)Instead of justifying their demand, he wrote fully against our demand of 7th CPC fitment factor.We don’t want to point out some inaccuracies or typographical errors but we cannot leave the venom in that letter.
Para 2 of that letter states “You have spared your precious time to meet the Pensioners Association on 01.07.2019 through the recommendations of Shri Pralhad Joshiji, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs placing aside all party politics and meeting communist minded Associations”.
Para 4 of that letter states “In this regard, we are constrained to draw your kind attention to many inconsistent information therein; trying to justify the BSNL Pensioners Pension Revision w.e.f. 01.01.2017 as per 7th CPC recommendations”.
Para 15 of that letter states “BSNL unions under the influence of political ideology, abandoned the talks placing full stop on discussion” (on wage negotiation).
Mr. Mistry shall not stop. Never.
Para 16 of that letter states “Instead of further demanding the resumption of wage negotiations further, this Association (i.e. AIBSNLPWA) in its para 10, demands Pension Revision as per 7th CPC and we firmly believe that the demand is not practicable”.
WAGE NEGOTITION IS THE RIGHT OF SERVICE UNIONS; WE HAVE NO ROLE IN IT:
Mr. Mistry isreferring to Paras 11, 12, 15 and 16 of our letter to Hon. MoC and talkirrelevant things, asking Hon. MoC not to consider our demand.These write-ups deserve no reply and it is to be treated with contempt. The members of BDPA should think whether their organization is dragged on right path. AIBSNLPWA is an organization with members of all shades of political views. Same Mr. Mistry had joined this association at the initial stage. He left it for his political own reasons.
Mr. Mistry may advise the ministers not to meet leaders of BSNLEU and NFTE-BSNL because they can be branded as ‘communist minded.’
Uninvited, unwanted Advisors can go on giving advise to Ministers or Indian Prime Minister or Russian Prime Minister or American President. Who can stop them?
PENSIONERS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR AFFILIATION, SHOULD THINK WHO IS RIGHT AND WHO IS PROTECTING THE INTEREST OF PENSIONERS.
Driven by the past experience in 2007 for pension revision, we wanted a permanent solution and hence demanded 7th CPC fitment factor for pension revision for BSNL IDA pensioners. Our stand was consistent on this issue. Similarly, other pensioners’ organizations have every right to place their demand as per their understanding. Many of the constituents of CBMPA except AIBSNLPWA demanded pension revision @ 15% (3rd PRC recommendation for pay revision for the executives) earlier, but later understood the concept behind the demand of 7th CPC fitment factor. They understood the reality because they are committed to the interests of pensioners only. Now, there is complete unanimity among all the eight constituents of CBMPA on this demand. We are jointly and collectively moving on this issue.
Since we wanted to widen the unity further we appealed to other 3 pensioners’ organizations. AIBSNLREAdid not respond and kept silent.
AIBDPA sys they did not et our email. We did not get any nondelivery report even after ten days. But they saw our proposal. Good. They wrote in their website on 7/8/2019 about the issue.
In the 2nd para they said “We have put forward the demand of pension revision with 15% fitment from 01/01/2017, delinking pay revision………we got our pension revision from 01/01/2007 on IDA scales with 30% fitment, recommended by the 2nd PRC for the pay revision of executives in CPSU. Thus, a precedence is created for future pension revision with the criteria of maximum fitment recommended by the PRC”.
If you quote the precedence, then you have to wait for pay revision and you cannot demand delinking pay revision. Para 2 of DoT OM dated 15/3/2011 (order for pension revision from 1/1/2007) states “The matter regarding revision of pension in respect of BSNL IDA pensioners who retired during the period from 1/10/2000 to 31/12/2006 pursuant to wage revision in BSNL w.e.f. 1/1/2007 had been under consideration of the Government of India.
In para 4 they said “A conversion formula is also formulated to regulate the pension on CDA scales from 01/01/2016 with future dearness allowance on central DR.It will be suicidal to raise such a demand, detrimental to the interests of the pensioners”.
We have not demanded pension on CDA scales from 01/01/2016.They are consciously confusing the pensioners. Our formula is only to convert the existing IDA basic pension as on 01/01/2016 to be brought on par with CDA pension and not CDA scales. Both are different.They have also not explained how our proposal is suicidal and detrimental to the interests of pensioners.
In para 6 they said “Another argument for demanding CDA pension revision is stated to be that there may not be any PRC in future”
We did not say that there may not be any PRC in future.We only said that almost all the absorbed officials would have retired before 2027 and hence by 2027, pay revision or otherwise in BSNL/MTNL would be irrelevant and naturally pension revision cannot be linked to that. So, it is nothing but twisting the facts. They can confuse some of their own members,not others.
In para 7 they said “It should be remembered that the involvement and the struggles by the serving unions is very crucial in the settlement of such a basic demand of pension revision. The continuous struggles including the three days strike by AUAB has compelled the government to delink pension revision from wage revision”.
The fact of the matter is that the government has not yet decided to delink pension revision from wage revision. AUAB had a meeting with the then Minister Sri Manoj Sinha on 3-12-2018. In that meeting officers in DoT reported that they had already referred the matter to DoP&PW seeking permission for delinking. Minister directed the officers to expedite the matter.
The file is still shuttling between DoT & DoP&PW on this question of ‘delinking’, which department is to take a call on this issue is still undecided.