A new branch of our Association is opened in Shahjahanpur SSA of UP East Circle with Com. R P Kanaujia as President, Com. O P Verma as DS and Com. P N Ojha as the Treasurer.

CHQ welcomes the new branch and new members.

In some Circles the BSNL employees and Retirees were provided with WLL telephone connections as Rent free Residential Telephone connections because the normal landphone connections were not technically feasible. Some time in 2011, such WLL services were withdrawn in Haryana circle, followed by some other circles. Our Circle Unit in Haryana took up the case with the CGMT for GSM connections to such retirees. In 2013 the case was referred to our CHQ as the efforts at circle failed. Com. G Natarajan , the then GS took up the matter with Corporate Office. He met the Director (HR) Smt. Sujata Ray for the purpose several times and pursued. Director HR gave assurances repeatedly. But no formal order was issued. Now, on 3-01-2020 the BSNL CO has issued orders for providing GSM based connections to such staff and retirees residing in the Technically Non feasible areas. Concerned comrades may approach the authorities in the SSA;

Please click here to see the order:wll-gsm.jpg

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 17^th 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 17^th 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

...................................................