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BSNL has written a letter to DoT stating that the financial condition is very bad and it may not be possible to pay salary to the staff for June 2019 on time. Salary was delayed in February. Then PM intervened due to elections and asked not to delay the payment till May. Month of May is over, elections are over.So, the problem reappears in June…

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DoT has issued a letter conveying the proposal to take back ALTTC complex at Ghaziabad. In fact, the DoT should take back entire BSNL with its staff to Govt. Service as the experiment has totally failed.

The next membership verification for non Executives Unions in BSNL is to be held on 16, September 2019. BSNL Management has issued instructions that unions cannot form alliances. All Unions should fight individually. But, in politics there can be NDA, UPA etc. Leader of a party with one or two MPs also can become cabinet minister. Then why this different rule for trade unions? In one way, it is good. Small unions with 2% or 3% membership cannot enjoy the fruits of recognition through back door.

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Our Case in CAT Ernakulam for Pension @ 50% of Last Pay Drawn, was not taken up for hearing on 21-6-2019 though it was listed. The Court heard some cases but our number did not come.

The delay is quite disgusting.

Business Standard has published the following news item:

The relief package for debt-laden Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) might be delayed as the department of telecom (DoT) considers lowering the retirement age of the employees of the government-owned telecom major to 58 years, instead of offering a one-time voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).

The outgo for proposed VRS package would be Rs 6,365 crore. The Ministry of Finance had raised concerns over this.

Once the DoT finalises what it wants to do, the proposal would go straight to the Union Cabinet — instead of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) — to avoid delays.

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The office of Finance Minister has provided an opportunity to any citizen to submit suggestions on new Budget proposals. It is a different matter if your suggestion will be considered or accepted. But there is an opportunity for you. Visit the website www.mygov.in and submit your suggestion online. It should be brief. Nobody has time and patience to read lengthy Notes.

Today, I have submitted the following:

There are about 3 crore pensioners in India, including 65 lakh central service pensioners.

Pensionary benefits are not taxed, but pension of government employees and PSE pensioners are taxed.

Pension of MPs is not taxed on the plea that “ it is not salary but income from other sources”.

“Other sources” is nothing but Exchequer. Govt pensioners too get pension from same source.

Hence, PENSION of everybody should be out of tax net. Such a declaration by the MODI II Govt. will earn goodwill of 10-15 crore of people, though the beneficiaries may be 10% of that.

Taxes on Liquor and luxury items should be increased.

We do not produce gold. But we are second in the world in buying gold ornaments. This wealth is nonproductive; it helps neither the nation nor the society. Hence maximum tax should be imposed on gold transactions.

Tax on cars costing Rs 5 lakh or above may be increased.

.... P S Ramankutty ..

THE COURT CASES

As all of you know we had filed two cases before Ernakulam bench of Central Administrative Tribunal.

1. to get pension arrears with 78.2% IDA from 1-1-2007 instead of 10-6-2013, as granted. (Arrears Case in short)

2. to get pension refixed @ 50% of Last Pay Dawn for all BSNL Pensioners retired prior to 1-1-2006. (LPD case in short)

After many postponement again and again, The Arrears Case (338/18) is listed for 18-6-2019. We hope it will be taken up for hearing.

The LPD case (346/18) was also postponed again and again and finally listed for 7-6-2019. One day before that date it was re-posted for 12-6-2019 by notification. Again on 11-6-2019 it is once again posted to 21-6-2019 by notification.

Earlier there was only one judge. Now both judges are available. We hope that the Tribunal will take up the cases for hearing.

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ANOMALY CASE: On 16-12-2016, CAT Principal bench pronounced its judgement in our favour in the anomaly case . Unfortunately, instead of respecting the court order, DoT preferred to file appeal in High Court. The high court of Delhi gave a very long gap to consider the case. Now, it is posted to 18, July 2019. More than 4200 BSNL employees retired from October 2000 to July 2001 have suffered huge loss in their pension due to the anomaly. Half of them have already left this earth. Remaining people are 79 years old. They are waiting for the justice.

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Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, new Finance Minister will present her maiden budget on July 5. It is customary for the Finance Ministry to ask views and suggestions from various departments, organizations etc. on budget proposals. This time, the Department of Pension sought views of Pensioners Organizations also in this regard. Excited over this, many pensioners are sending all types of suggestions. Finally, the political leadership will decide the policy and accordingly will present the budget. We have no illusion.

However, we have suggested that PENSION SHOULD NOT BE TAXED.

Pension of MPs is not taxed. Why? It is said that their pension is not salary and that is income from other sources. Nothing but Government fund is the ‘other sources’. We are also getting pension from same government funds. Then why this discrimination?

Now, Assocham (Association of Chambers of Commerce in India) has suggested to raise income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh in Budget “Considering the inflation over the years, tax exemption limit should be increased from Rs 2,50,000 to Rs 5,00,000,” the chamber’s memorandum to the Finance Ministry stated.

Twelve senior government officers, including a chief commissioner, principal commissioners and commissioner of the Income Tax Department, were directed by the Finance Ministry to retire under Rule 56 of the General Financial Rules (GFRs) on Monday.

Sources said some of these officers were found guilty of corruption, having illegal and disproportionate assets and sexual harassment.

Officers who were shown the door on Monday included Ashok Agarwal (IRS, 1985), Joint Commissioner (Income Tax) on grounds of serious complaints of corruption and major extortion from businessmen, S K Srivastava (IRS, 1989), Commissioner (Appeal), Noida, accused of sexual harassment of two women IRS officers of Commissioner rank, Homi Rajvansh (IRS, 1985) who had acquired movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 3 crore in the name of self and his family members and BB Rajendra Prasad on allegations of obtaining illegal gratification in lieu of passing a favourable appeal order in a case.

Congratulations to Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister for the bold action.

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad should order investigations into the disproportionate assets of former CMDs of BSNL and MTNL, including those who bought ERP for huge sum.

On 10-6-2019 Govt. of India has moved an application before National Company Law Tribunal to ban M/s Deloitte Haskins & Sells for five years for suppressing facts about the IL&FS which committed fraud of Rs 95000 Crore.

Yes Rs 95000 Crore!!

One company has total networth of Rs. 9 crore. The auditors suppressed the fact and helped the company to take loans of Rs. 223 crore.

Another Company has networth of Rs 85 crore.The auditors suppressed the facts and helped that company to get loans of Rs. 385 crore.

Who is Deloitte?

The great international auditors, engaged by BSNL some time back to restructure the BSNL. This fraudulent auditors suggested many structural changes of BSNL.

How can you expect that BSNL will escape from the crisis with such advisors and auditors?

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The Palakkad disrict conference was held on 6-6-2019. Com. P S Ramankutty inaugurated it. Comrades P Narayanan Moosad (Kerala Circle President), T P George (CS), R N Pada Nair (AGS) and A P Saraswathy (AI Org. Secretary) addressed. The conference unanimously elected Comrades T Muralidharan, K T Ramanarayanan and M P Krishnadas as DP, DS and Dist Treasurer respectively.

The conference also formed a Reception Committee for the ensuring Kerala Circle Conference to be held on 15-10-2019 at Palakkad.

COMRADE T S VITTOBAN, CHQ TREASURER HAS SHIFTED TO HIS NEW RESIDENCE. HIS NEW ADDRESS IS GIVEN BELOW. ALL ARE REQUESTED TO NOTE THIS.

...

Shri T S Vittoban,
Block-A, Flat- D4,
Air View Apartments,
(Near City Union Bank),
M G Road,
Manappakkam, Mugalivakkam PO,
Chennai 600125

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According to information received by us,

till date following donations are sent to Fani Relief Fund of our Odisha circle Unit:

CHQ: ... ... ... ... ... Rs 20,000

Tamilnadu Circle: ... ...Rs 10,000

Karnataka circle: ... ... Rs 10,000

East Godavari Dist: ... Rs 10,000

Ernakulam Dist: ... .... Rs 10,000

Vizianagaram Dist: ... Rs 10,000

Sambalpur Dist: .........Rs 10,000

Bangalore Dist; ... ... ...Rs 5,000

Chennai Tfc Dist: ... ... Rs 5,000

Jabalpur Dist: ... ... ...... Rs 5,000

Ara Dist: ... ... ... ........... Rs 5,000

Balaghat Dist: ..............Rs 2100

EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT UNIT IN ANDHRA HAS REMITTED Rs 10000 TO ODISHA FANI RELIEF FUND.

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KARNATAKA CIRCLE ASSOCIATION HAS REMITTED Rs 10000 TO THE ODISHA FANI RELIEF FUND

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BANGALORE TD UNIT HAS REMITTED Rs. 5000 TO ODISHA FANI RELIEF FUND

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CHENNAI TRAFFIC BRANCH HAS REMITTED Rs. 5000 TO ODISHA FANI RELIEF FUND

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Few days back, Mr. Arvind Panagriya, former Vice Chairman of NITI Ayog, now in America, suggested that the new Government should shut down one Central Public Sector Undertaking every week. Yesterday, Mr. Rajiv Kumar, present Vice Chairman of NITI Ayog (new outfit in place of Planning Commission) has suggested that within first 100 days 46 PSUs should be closed! Means three CPSUs should be shut down in a week at average.

The news appeared in THE WIRE is reproduced hereunder:

Delhi: In the first 100 days of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term, a slew of ‘big-bang’ economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, according to a top official at the government’s main think-tank.

The reforms will include changes in labour laws, privatisation moves and creation of land banks for new industrial development, said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India), who reports directly to Modi.

“They (foreign investors) will have reasons to be happy. You will see a slew of reforms I can assure you of that. We are going to pretty much hit the ground running,” Kumar told Reuters in an interview.

COM. G R DHARMA RAJAN BEREAVED

Smt. D Ranganayagi Ammal (75), beloved wife of Com. G R Dharmarajan, Vice President of our Tamilnadu circle expired on 30-5-2019. Funeral has taken place on 31-5-2019.

Com. G R Dharmarajan was our District Secretary at Madurai and nurtured the Madurai SSA Unit as the biggest branch of AIBSNLPWA in the entire country.

We deeply express our sorrow on the demise of Smt. Ranganayagi Ammal and convey our condolences to Com. GRD and other members of the family.…

... P S Ramankutty …

ERNAKULAM SSA UNIT HAS REMITTED Rs 10000

TO THE FANI RELIEF FUND OF OUR ODISHA CIRCLE ASSOCIATION,

ON 29-5-2019.

ARA SSA UNIT OF AIBSNLPWA HAS REMITTED Rs 5000

TO THE FANI RELIEF FUND

OF OUR ODISHA CIRCLE ASSOCIATION.

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TAMIL NADU CIRCLE ASSOCIATION HAS REMITTED A SUM OF

RUPEES TEN THOUSAND TODAY

TOWARDS THE FANI RELIEF FUND OF OUR ODISHA CIRCLE UNIT.

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