Today, 18-7-2019, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minsiter for Communications told in Rajya Sabha that "To ensure stability in Telecom Sector, one PSU is very important."

Well said. We await follow up action.

The Prime Minister himself launched SAMPANN on 29-12-2018 to ensure speedy payment of pension and quick redressal of grievances from pensioners. As part of it the Dept. of Telecom, through CCA offices, introduced the Direct Pension Payment System for the new retirees. Almost all CCA offices have started it.

CGCA:

A new post of Controller General of Communication Accounts was created in 2018. CCAs and Pr.CCAs have to report to CGCA.Awebsite –www.cgca.gov.in – was also launched. It is linked to websites of all the 28 CCAs in the country. This is also a welcome step.

SOME TEETHING TROUBLES:

Now, pension and pensionary benefits are being credited every month in the account of new pensioners from the month of March in most of the circles. Final settlement of GPF is not part of SAMPANN. However, during the last two months the BSNL failed to remit the amount and hence the final settlement of those retiring in the month of August 2019 may be affected.

MIGRATION OF EARLIER PENSIONERS:

The intention was to migrate all existing (earlier) DoT/BSNL pensioners to SAMPANN. It has not yet taken place completely. In Kerala circle 67% of pensioners draw pension through bank and 33% through post office.In other circles it is just opposite as many pensioners live in rural areas where banking facility is poor. The banks maintain data of their pension accounts. Still, in this era of digitization, many banks have not shared the data with DoT. Of late, the DoT has started the work with one bank. It may take few more months to complete the work related to all pensioners drawing pension through banks. Cases of those receiving pension through post offices will further be delayed as IndiaPost does not have full data.

DELAY IN POST OFFICES:

At many places pensioners did not get their pension from post offices on the last working days in May and June 2019. The Staff in Post offices told pensioners that “pension was not credited by the Centralized Pension Processing Centre at Mysore”. In fact, there is no such CPPC at Mysore for all Post offices in the country. The work is centralized in DAP offices, Director of Accounts, Posts in each circle. The Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) provides technical support, from their office at Mysore. In the software being used by CCAs and some banks there is a provision “not to pay before…th”. So they can credit the pension amount on any date conveniently which will be released only on the specified date. But, in the soft ware supplied by TCS to India post this provision is not available. So the staff in DAP offices (at some places only) came at 2 AM on the last working day in June 2019 and started crediting the pension. In those circles people got the pension on that day itself. In other Circles where the work was started at 9 AM they could not enter the network system as it was jammed! That caused delay in May and June. It is reported that India post is updating the system with the help of TCS. Let us hope that it will be improved. When some changes are effected in procedure there will be some problems.

Secretary, Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare has sent a letter to all Departments to hold Pension Adalat, on the same day of 23-8-2019 to settle maximum number of grievances of pensioners. We welcome this good initiative.

See the letter from Secretary, DoP&PW: pension-adalat-in-all-depts.pdf

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Media reports say that the Group of Ministers (GoM) led by Home Minister Shri Amit Shah met on 16-7-2019 to discuss various proposals for revival of BSNL and MTNL. But the GoM has not taken a final call.

STAFF FORCE IS THE ONLY PROBLEM? Stress of the entire exercise is on reduction of staff. The outside Think Tanks advising the government forget the fact that 10 years ago, with more staff BSNL could earn profit. GoM discussed a VRS package for staff. The package will cost BSNL Rs. 6365 Crore and MTNL Rs. 2120 Crore. Earlier the Finance ministry officials had opposed the scheme. The High Level Committee of Secretaries also could not take a decision in the matter.

4G SPECTRUM: The media reports say that administrative charges for 4G spectrum business will be Rs 14000 CR. for the BSNL and RS 6000 Cr. for the MTNL.

NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE GOVT: Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Communications had requested budgetary allocation of Rs 1000 Crore immediately for BSNL. But Finance Minister did not mention anything about it in her budget speech.

In addition to Sh. Amtishah, Ravishankar Prasad and Nirmala Sitaraman are also members of the GoM.

UP West Circle Conference was held at Meerut on 14-7-2019. Comrades P Gangdhara Rao (GS), Com. Anupam Kaul (AGS), Com. J S Dahiya (AGS) and Jadhir Singh (OS) attended it on behalf of CHQ and explained the status of various issues and our efforts thereon.

Com. Anupam Kaul speaks.

A view of the Delegates.

Comrades R C Sharma, Kailash Gautam and J K Sharma are unanimously elected as Circle President, Circle Secretary, and Circle Treasurer respectively.

State of Manipur adopted the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, as amended from time to time. As per Rule 49 of the Central Civil Services Rules, 1972, a case of a government employee retired in accordance with the provisions of the rules after completing qualifying service of not less than 30 years, the amount of pension shall be calculated at 50% of the average emoluments subject to a maximum of Rs.4500/per month (at that time). Considering the increase in the cost of living, the Government of Manipur decided to increase the quantum of pension as well as the pay of the employees. Government of Manipur issued an office memorandum on 21.4.1999 revising the quantum of pension. However, provided that those Manipur Government employees who retired on or after 1.1.1996 only shall be entitled to the revised pension at a higher percentage and those who retired before 1.1.1996 shall be entitled at a lower percentage. The pensioners who retired before the said cutoff date approached the Court. A single bench of Manipur High Court at Imphal delivered a judgement on 24-3-2005 striking the above OM pointing out the decision of Supreme Court in Nakara Case. But, Govt. of Manipur appealed against it. After eleven years, on 1-3-2016, the Division Bench of same High Court delivered a different judgement which went against the pensioners. The Pensioners Association approached Supreme Court of India. Now, the Division Bench of Supreme Court, consisting of Justice M R Shah and justice B P Boppanna, pronounced yet another good judgement on 11-7-2019 upholding the historic judgement in Nakara Case. Once again it is declared that pensioners cannot be divided on the basis of their date of retirement. Hereunder we reproduce the relevant Para 9 of the said SC judgement dated 11-7-2019. …. Editor]

9. In view of the above and for the reasons stated above, we are of the opinion that the controversy/issue in the present appeal is squarely covered by the decision of this Court in the case of D.S. Nakara (supra). The decision of this Court in the case of D.S. Nakara (supra) shall be applicable with full force to the facts of the case on hand. The Division Bench of the High Court has clearly erred in not following the decision of this Court in the case of D.S. Nakara (supra) and has clearly erred in reversing the judgment and order of the learned Single Judge. The impugned judgment and order passed by the Division Bench is not sustainable and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and is accordingly quashed and set aside. The judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge is hereby restored and it is held that all the pensioners, irrespective of their date of retirement, viz. pre1996 retirees shall be entitled to revision in pension at par with those pensioners who retired post1996. The arrears be paid to the respective pensioners within a period of three months from today.

Click here to see the Judgement sc-judgement-manipur.pdf

Kerala circle Association has remitted a sum of Rupees One Lakh to the Fani Relief fund of our Orissa Circle Unit. Kerala Circle association fixed quota for all SSA Units and they, in turn, remitted the money immediately to Circle feeling the urgency.

Congrats, Kerala comrades for the timely action.... PSR

Shri Sathish Kumar, Jt CCA, Kerala has sent to me a soft copy of the Handbook for Retirees, prepared by Dept of Telecom on the new SAMPANN. It is uploaded below.

I am thankful to Sathishkumar, one of the officers worked behind the scheme..... PSR

Click here to see the book: handbook-for-retirees.pdf