Archives-News
Karnataka Circle Conference was held in RTTC auditorium, Mysore on 11-2-2018 in a grand manner. More than 400 comrades from all parts of the Circle attended it.
Comrades P S Ramankutty, D Gopalakrishnan, G Natarajan, T S Vittoban and V Rama Rao participated in the conference on behalf of CHQ in addition to Com. G Babu (VP), Com. P Gangadhara Rao (DGS) and Com. K G Deshpande (OS) who hail from Karnataka Circle. Com. Varaprasad, Circle Secretary of AP circle also attended it. Shri K L Jairam, PGMT, Mysore addressed the Open Session.
Com. P Gangadhara Rao and Com. R Changappa are re elected as
Circle President and Circle Secretary.
Com. S Ganeshan is the new Treasurer.
IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT COM R.K.SRIVASTAVA , PRESIDENT, AIRBSNLPWA
HAD PASSED AWAY ON 8-2-18 AT FARIDABAD. HE WAS OUR GOOD FRIEND
WE EXPRESS OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE LOST HIM
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FOR SOME TIME PAST, ALL UNIONS OF BSNL STAFF HAVE BEEN JOINTLY TRYING TO MEET THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS, SHRI MANOJ SINHA TO BRING THE SERIOUS ISSUE OF PAY REVISION TO HIS NOTICE. BUT, IT SEEMS THE MINISTER IS NOT INCLINED TO MEET THE STAFF LEADERS.
FINALLY, THE UNIONS WERE ASSURED A MEETING WITH SHRI MANOJ SINHA ON 5-2-2018 EVENING THROUGH SHRI JUAL ORA, THE MINISTER FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE.
The Chandigarh bench of CAT has ordered on 5-2-02018, that Extra Increment should be reckoned as pay for grant of Pension. Accordingly the Department of Telecom is directed to re-fix pension of those who were not given the benefit of said Ex Increment.
The Judgement is attached here.extra-incr.-chandigarh-cat.pdf
Our Ajmer District Secretary (Rajasthan) reports that Com. S L Azad, a devoted comrade of Ajmer expired on 3-2-2018. We convey our heartfelt condolence on his demise.
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Reacting to our posting of yesterday and day before, regarding life membership in Bangalore etc, Com. Narasimhan, District Secretary of Hyderabad intimated us that the life membership in Hyderabad District is now 1595 and it will cross 1600 very soon. It is another inspiring news. We have Madurai in Tamilnadu with the highest membership in the entire country. Madurai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ernakulam are the four major branches with more than 1500 membership.
It is not just competition. The growth reflects dedicated work by our active leaders and the confidence of BSNL pensioners in a vibrant organization, vigorously pursing the issues of pensioners.
Today, I have received a list of 64 life members from Bangalore. So far I received 1606 names of life Members from Bangalore city itself. Bangalore stands first in the country with highest number of Life members. Congratulations.
There is great improvement of Life membership in Bijapur, Hubli, Kolar, Mangalore, Shimoga and Tumkur Districts also.
... ... ... P S Ramankutty, 5-2-2018
I am quite excited to note very commendable increase in the life membership of some branches during the last 6-9 months. I have already mentioned few instances earlier. Now, I wish to mention the following also
Sambalpur: Nine months back, It was 220. Now it is increased to 300. 100% Life membership.
Pondicherry: It is increased from 140 to 266.
Meerut: It is increased from 193 to 353.
Hyderabad: There is wonderful increase from 733 to 1344.
UP West Circle has marked increase from 268 to 762.
Congratulations to the leaders
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.... ... P S Ramankutty
COM. C SURYANARAYANA, A LONG TIME LEADER OF TELECOM WORKERS IN ANDHRA, FORMER CIRCLE SECRETARY OF NFTE, EXPIRED ON 2-2-2018 AT 1900 HOURS. FUNERAL WILL TAKE PLACE ON 4-2-2018 IN HYDERABAD.
WE CONVEY OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCE ON THE DEMISE OF COM. CS.
With great grief we report sad demise of Com. D Hariharan, a very devoted comrade of Chennai on 1-2-2018 at 4 PM. Funeral will take place in Chennai on 2-2-2018. Com. Hariharan was a very close friend of our GS Com. Natarajan for many years. Hariharan was present in Patna CWC meeting, held in November 2017. There, immediately after Com. J K Tripathy presented an estimate for our ensuing AIC, Com. Hariharan announced his personal donation of Rs 5000 to the Reception Committee. But, Com. Hariharan will not attend the Puri AIC. Death has appeared as an uninvited clown and taken him away from our midst. We convey our heartfelt condolence to the comrades of Hariharan. Com. Hariharan was a chronic bachelor spent his life for the trade union movement and the pensioners movement..... P S Ramankutty
All India Consumer Price Index for December 2017 is announced today .
It is 286 points. 2 Points down from November Index of 288 points.
CDA may increase by 2% from existing 5% to 7% from January 2018.
In the past, on many occasions, the Index had reduced in December.
Today, all Unions and Associations of BSNL staff start their 5 days programme of Satyagraha.
BSNL, Management, in return, has absolved itself from all responsibilities to settle the issues raised by staff.
1) Regarding the demand for PAY Revision: BSNL says it has sent its recommendations. Means BSNL can not do anything further.
2) Regarding demand for Pension Revision: BSNL says DoT has to take a decision on pension revision with third PRC formula. It is easy now for DOT to reject the demand because Third PRC has not suggested any pension revision. There is no PRC formula for Pension Revision.
3) Subsidiary Tower Company: BSNL says that it is Government decision.
4) Reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58: BSNL says that at present there is no such proposal before it.
70 YEARS AGO.....
On 30-1-1948, in the evening Mr. Nathuram Vinayak Godse went to Gandhiji with folded hands. Not for taking blessings from the great man. But, to fix the distance as directed. Then he pulled out his pistol and fired three shots. One of the finest human beings, mankind ever seen, fell down. Thus, Independent India started its journey with the most heinous crime committed by a fanatic.
Many noble men had fallen in our country. Their supreme sacrifice never go in vain.
Let us pay homage to the martyrs ..
Guntur branch in AP conducted its annual general body meeting today, 28-1-2018. Com. M R S Prakasa Rao (AP Circle President), Com. Varaprasad (CS, AP) and other leaders addressed the meeting. More than 110 members participated. The branch has 450 members now marking a notable improvement recently.
IT IS REPORTED THAT COM. PRAHLAD MOHANTY, DISTRICT SECRETARY, ROURKELA (ODISHA) EXPIRED ON 22-01-2018. WE CONVEY OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY MEMBERS AND COMRADES OF ROURKELA.
LET US BE PROUD INDIANS.
THE PEOPLE'S POWER IS SUPREME; NOT INDIVIDUALS.
REPUBLIC DAY GREETINGS TO ALL OUR VIEWERS.
COURT CASES:
This is regarding our yesterday’s posting, regarding the two cases we propose to file before CAT, Ernakulam.I have received number of anxious calls from our comrades of different stations.
..1.. .Nobody has any doubt about the first case.Our pension was revised with 78.2% IDR. It is done notionally from 1-1-2007 to 9-6-1013. And actual payment was made from 10-6-2013. Why 10-6-2013? Because of the DoT order consequent upon the agreement made by BSNL staff unions and BSNL management in 2013.Pensioners are not party to the agreement. We want that the date of actual Pension revision with 78.2 should be 01-01-2007, not 10-6-2013. Financial condition of BSNL is not relevant to our Pension Revision. One case is already filed by another Association before Principal bench of CAT, New Delhi. Another case is being filed before Supreme Court directly.If the Supreme Court rejects the case on MERIT, then that is the end of their fight.Let us hope that Supreme Court will not reject the application.Pensioners have raised a just demand. Judges with judicious mind will not reject.The principal bench and different benches of CAT have equal status.Only difference is that anybody from any part of India can approach Principal bench.But those who are staying within its jurisdiction only can approach a particular bench of CAT in states. There is no difference between CAT Chennai or CAT Ernakulam or CAT Chandigarh. So, only those who reside in Kerala can approach CAT Ernakulam.If others are there as applicants, then the case can be rejected at admission stage itself. At first stage, we will try to get a favourable verdict from CAT Ernakulam and then try to get it extended to others. The legal fight in this matter is just begun. We should keep the lists of all other Circles ready.So. Continue the data collection.Hardly 25% branches have sent the list to CHQ.We cannot wait till 100% lists reach CHQ.Hence we have decided to approach CAT Ernakulam first.The Advocate Mr Sreeraj is sympathetic to pensioners. We have a Legal committee at Ernakulam to help our Association in legal matters also.Let us hope the best.Let us try. TRY, TRY and TRY….. ... ... P S Ramankutty
BHOPAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE
Bhopal district conference was conducted today. Shri M N Singh (EX GMT), GM TD Bhopal, Com. V C Thakur (AI Org. Secretary) M C Sharma (CS MP) and others addressed it. The conference elected S K Lade, S R Bagri and H S Patel as the District President, Dist. Secretary and Dist Treasurer respectively.
On 23-01-2018, Comrades P S Ramankutty, D Gopalakrishnan, R N Pada Nair (former Circle of Secretary of Kerala) and T P George (present Circle Secretary of Kerala) met Advocate Sreeraj in Kochi, Kerala and discussed about filing two cases.
- (1) For getting arrears of pension revision with 78.2% from 01-01-2007 instead of 10-6-2013.
- (2) For getting pension fixed at 50% of the Last Pay Drawn for all BSNL Pensioners at par with other central government pensioners, since all of us are also covered by CCS Pension rules, 1972.
We had discussion with the Advocate for more than an hour. Adv. Sreeraj is the lawyer who fought our case on Extra Increment and won. He agreed to file the two cases before CAT, Ernakulam. We handed over all relevant documents to him. After studying the papers he will finalize the Petition and take all steps to file the petitions within a period of two weeks. Com. P S Ramankutty will file it on behalf of AIBSNLPWA along with two or three pensioners from Kerala. We shall attach a list of pensioners from Kerala showing them as the beneficiaries. Since the jurisdiction of the Ernakulam CAT is Kerala state only, list of those from other circles cannot be attached at this stage. But, the Telecom Department is notorious for going on appeal to High Court and Supreme Court whenever it is defeated in Tribunals. (We have the experience of winning our case on Pension Anomaly.) In this case also we should expect the same. When the matter is taken to the Supreme Court, list of pensioners of other Circles can be attached.
Legal fight is to be fought very carefully. It is along drawn struggle also. In CAT benches number of Judges have retired. Vacancies are not being filled up. Hence thousands of cases are pending for years together.
When justice is denied by Government or by Department we approach the Court of Law. There is undue delay in Courts, including the Supreme Court of India. This is the sorry state of affairs of Indian Judiciary System. But people like us have no alternative.
ANOMALY CASE
Com. R L Kapoor has reported from Delhi that on 23-1-2018, High Court of Delhi took up the appeal petition filed by Department of Telecom against the verdict of CAT Principal bench given in favour of pensioners, in the case our Association had filed and won. After hearing the arguments for some time the High Court simply postted the case to 22-10-2018 saying that detailed arguments are to be heard. !!!!
Gap of Nine months.!!! Our Advocate pleaded for an early date but the High Court did not agree.
Sambalpur district unit (Odisha) has held its district conference today, 21-1-2018. Com. B N Behera (CS) and Com. Bhaskar Nayak (Org. Secretary) attended the conference.
Comrades A C Panda, Khatu Bhoi and P Kisan have been elected as District President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
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