The Labour Bureau of India has officially released the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) for the month of November 2016. It is 277 Points. AICPI for October was 278 Points and for September it was 277 Points. Three months’ average is 277.33.

Based on the above average the IDA from January 2017 will be119.5%. There will be a decrease of 0.8% from the existing rate of 120.3%.

Recent action of withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 Notes rendered large section of the people cashless. It reduced their purchasing power. It affected the small scale trade, the markets. In turn, it affected the price and Index also.

The advisors of Prime Minister deal with Credit Cards and Smart Cards. They do not know the stark reality in the villages and small towns and in the ordinary families.

This is the result of a good scheme implemented without proper planning, without proper preparation and without understanding the ground reality. Financial experts trained by world Bank or IMF or US based Institutions do not know what the real India is.

We are moving into a new year…..

….P S Ramankutty

Our Vice President Com. D Gopalakrishnan spoke to Shri S K Jain, DDG(EST) of Department of Telecom yesterday.

78.2 Revision:

Com. DG pointed out undue delay in processing the cases in most of the Circles. The target date is fast approaching but the work is very sluggish. DDG told that he checked up with UP East Circle. There, more than 50% of he cases are settled. Com. DG pointed out that it is not the case with other Circles. For example; in Tamilnadu Circle hardly 20% cases have been settled. Then DDG informed that Directorate has issued two reminders to all CCAS. It will be followed up.

Benefits of seventh CPC:

Com. DG reminded the DDG of our discussion last month regarding issuance of orders extending the benefit of Seventh CPC report on upper limit of Gratuity, new Commutation, Minimum Pension etc. to the BSNL IDA pensioners. DDG informed that DoT has sought guidance from Department of Pension in this regard. As soon as the guidance is received from DOPW necessary orders will be issued.

[Today, Com. D Gopalakrishnan spoke to Mr. Harjeet Singh, a senior officer in Department of Pension about the above reference from DoT. According to Mr. Singh there is no need of any fresh approval. DoT can issue orders based on earlier approval. Then, Com. DG sent an Email to DDG Establishment to issue the orders without delay. Let us see how Directorate is moving.]

BSNL has constituted a Committee of five officers with Smt. Anuadha Panda, PGM (PF) as chair person to examine the wage structure of serving Non Executive staff of BSNL.

There is no representative of BSNLEU or NFTE-BSNL, two recognized unions.

The Committee will not start functioning immediately. It will start the work after getting parameters from Department of Public Enterprises. The Terms of Reference of the Committee is also no finalized.

Just, a committee is constituted.

The Wage Revision of serving officers (Executives) depends upon the Report of third Pay Revision Committee. There is no definite information about the PRC report, even though the time limit is over.

Wage Revision of Non Executives depends upon the negotiations between BSNL Management and the Recognized Unions. Rather, it depends upon the bargaining capacity of the Unions.

BSNL will not discuss Pension Revision, as the Pension is being paid to BSNL retirees by Government of India, not by the Company.

Next meeting of SCOVA (Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies) is notified to be held on 12-01-2017 at 11 AM.

The Agenda Items are not yet confirmed. We hope that the Item given by Karnataka P&T Pensioners Association demanding pension @ 50% of Last Pay Drawn for all the pensioners - those who retired before 1-1-2006 - will find a place in the agenda. We are waiting for official notification.

Karnataka comrades have prepared CDs containing the the entire programme of our Special Conference held in Palace Grounds, Bengaluru on 12-11-2016 where all Circles felicitated Shri Ananthakumarji.

The Two CDs cost Rs 50.00.

Those who want the CDs may contact Circle Secretary Com. R Changappa over 09448353132.

.... P S Ramankutty

On 4th August 2016, Department of Pension issued Office Memoranda implementing some of the recommendations of Seventh Central Pay Commission.

On 22-8-2016 the Department of Telecom endorsed the above OMs without specifying whether they are applicable to BSNL IDA pensioners.

Now, after four months, on 21-12-2016, the Corporate Office of BSNL has endorsed the DoT Orders and the OM from Department of Pension. BSNL also has not stated anything about BSNL pensioners.

These days, one order will cause number of clarifications. One clarification results in number of confusion....

bsnl-7th-cpc-1.rar

bsnl-7th-cpc-2.rar

bsnl-7th-cpc-3.rar

LET US BE GRATEFUL TO THEM

We should be grateful to Late Mr. D S Nakara (1914-2009) for his great service to the pensioners of India by filing a case against injustice with farsightedness. Many people have gone to Court and won their cases.Supreme Court of India delivered thousands of judgements in favour of pensioners. Then, how Nakara Case Judgement became a magnacarta for Indian Pensioners? Only because late Mr. Nakara raised many fundamental, basic issues concerning the pension system in his affidavit in the case. Court had to address those issues because they were raised in the Application. Do not ignore this aspect.

We must remember also Late Mr. H D Shourie, the man who fought many a cases of common nature. Mr. Shourie formed a platform called COMMON CAUSE for fighting the legal battles in Courts of law. He helped Mr. Nakara in preparing the Affidavit. All of us – all the pensioners of BSNL, Central Government, State Governments etc etc. – are enjoying the fruits of their labour and wisdom. When we observe the Pensioners Day, let us remember both Mr. Nakara and Mr. Shourie…

P S Ramankutty

SOME PHOTOS

MANGALORE - KARNATAKA

MATHURA - UP WEST

SALEM WEST

MUMBAI TELECOM FACTORY

TANUKU -ANDHRA

BANGALORE

VIJAYAWADA

BHOPAL.... FELICITATING SHRI MOOLCHAND YADAV, WHO WON THREE GOLD MEDALS IN VETERANS ATHLELTICS

... CHENNAI

CHENNI: COM. NATARAJAN ADDRESSING

KANNUR KERALA

RANCHI- JHARKHAND

CALICUT

CALICUT

DHANBAD-JHARKHAND

. DUMKA-JHARKHAND

JAMSHEDPUR JHARKHAND

TIRUPATHY-AP

COIMBATORE 1

COIMBATORE 2

HYDERABAD 1

HYDERABAD 2

TIRUCHIRAPALLI

BHIMAVARAM- AP

TIRUNELVELI - TN

PONDICHERRY

ELURU-AP:

OUR LEADERS VISIT ORPHANAGES TO DISTRIBUTE VARIOUS MATERIALS.

MADURAI - TAMILNADU

JABALPUR

JABALPUR

THANJAVUR - TN

BOKARO - JHARKHAND

TIRUR (MALAPPURAM) - KERALA

NAGPUR

UJJAIN

DHARMAPURI-TN

SAMBALPUR - ODISHA

STR - CHENNAI

VIZIANAGARAM - AP

Com. R L Kapoor reports from Delhi that today, CAT Principal Bench took up the case filed by our Association regarding anomaly faced by those BSNL employees who retired without completing ten months in BSNL. Government advocate wanted postponement of the case; but the judge did not allow that.

Arguments are over today. Judgement is reserved.

It can be expected soon. Let us hope the best.

Dear Friends,

All are aware that the financial benefit out of 78.2 % is granted from 10-6-2013 because the serving staff of BSNL was given from that date only. To the pensioners, it should have been given from 1-1-2007. But, DoT proposed it from 10-6-2013 in the Cabinet Note and the Cabinet approved it. It is understood that some people are now collecting money and vakkalathnama from pensioners to file a case in CAT to get the benefit from 1-1-2007. If any Pensioner gives money to such people, it is his/her responsibility.

We also thought of filing a case but postponed a decision for number of reasons;

1. We want that the present order should be implemented as early as possible. The target date is 31-12-2016. From the reports we feel that no Circle will complete the work before the date. Staff shortage in CCA offices is the main reason. Lethargic attitude towards pensioners is another. We must concentrate on this aspect now. We should get the benefit of the order without further delay. A court case challenging the order should not be an impediment to the ongoing process.

2. The Court Case is a time consuming exercise. In 2010, the CGPA Kerala filed a case for getting pension @ 50% of Last Pay Drawn for the pre-2006 people. Even after six years the case is not taken up for hearing. Cases filed in 2005 are taken up now. That means the CGPA case will be taken up in 2020 or 2021. In 2014, our Association filed a case in Principal bench of CAT to get the pension anomaly removed. [We did not collect money from the concerned pensioners.] It was listed several times and postponed every time. It may be taken up for hearing in 2017. So, if a case is filed in 2017 demanding 78.2% from 1-1-2007, it may be taken up after 4-5 years. Nobody can predict nature of the Court decision. If it is in favour of pensioners, the government will go on appeal to High Court and Supreme Court.

3. Our Association will make all efforts, including approaching the PM, to get the benefit from 1-1-2007.

For us, a regular system to revise our pension along with the central government pensioners in India is the most important issue. Similarly, we are trying to get a decision by the Government to grant pension at the rate of 50% of Last Pay Drawn to all who rendered qualifying service of ten years, irrespective of the date of their retirement. Everybody retired before 1-1-2006 should get it.

….

At this stage, we are not contemplating to file any court case. When we decide we will intimate all.

………………. P S Ramankutty

Pensioners – Aadhaar Seeding is not Mandatory for release of Pension – Govt.

There is no proposal to make Aadhar mandatory for release of pension to the central government pensioners, Parliament was told on Wednesday.

“There is, at present, no proposal to make Aadhaar seeding mandatory for release of pension to the central government pensioners,” said Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Noting 87 per cent of central government pensioners of all age categories have seeded their bank accounts with Aadhaar number, he said that the government has made efforts to seed accounts of all central government pensioners with Aadhaar numbers so as to enable them to benefit from the additional facility of submission of Digital Life Certificate.

“Public Sector Banks are authorised to enroll pensioners for issue of Aadhaar number, including old and infirm pensioners.”

This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question by Shri Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

BSNL Corporate Office has issued instructions to all Circles, again and again, that pension cases should be settled without delay.

Corporate Office sent reminders again and again on the subject. But who cares in BSNL?

Now, Once again, the corporate Office has issued a five pages latter to all Circles stating that the pension papers should be sent to concerned CCAs at least six months in advance.
These instructions have turned out to be a JOKE. Not once once. Several times.

pension-cases-settle..-another-reminder.pdf

Tenali (Andhra) branch held a meeting on 11-12-2016. Shri M R S Prakasa Rao (Circle President) and Shri K S Koteswara Rao (Circle Secretary) addressed the meeting and explained the position of various issues and demands.

Two pictures:

News Item appeared in the media:

9-12-2016: State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd’s losses in the April-June quarter this fiscal stood at Rs 1,721 crore while total income was at Rs 7,331 crore, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

“The turnover, that is, revenue from operation, has increased from Rs 26,153 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 27,242 crore in 2014-15 and to Rs 28,449 crore in 2015-16,” Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply.

The revenue from operations stood at Rs 7,183 crore during April-June quarter of 2016-17.

The telecom PSU registered loss of Rs 7,019 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 8,234 crore in 2014-15. Its losses less than halved to Rs 3,880 crore in 2015-16.

THE LOSS IN CRORES:

2013-2014: ............................... Rs 7019 Cr.

2014-2015:.................................... Rs 8234 Cr.

2015-2016:.................................... Rs 3880 Cr.

2016 (3 months):.......................... Rs 1721 Cr.....................................For whole year? : Rs 6800 Cr?

Revenue has increased. Few weeks back the CMD claimed Operational profit also.

Then..... Loss now?

Membership verification was conducted by BSNL on 9-12-2016 to identify the recognized Organizations of BSNL Executives.SNEA, headed by Shri Sebatian, fought alone and emerged as the first organization. AIBSNLEA headed by Shri Prahlad Rai fought the election jointly with many other organizations.Their Front emerged as the second organization.

Both will get recognition as per rules.

The details are:

Total Number of Executives in BSNL: 44412

No. of Votes polled: ......................... ........ 42007

Votes polled by SNEA: .................................. . 20128 (45.32%)

Votes polled by AIBSNLEA:........................... . 18438 (41.52%)

Com. Ramesh Das, a Life Member of our Cuttack branch expired yesterday.

We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Pensioners – both CDA Pensioners and BSNL IDA Pensioners – face number of anomalies. I personally felt that to remove all such anomalies there is a solution.Grant Pension at 50% of Last Pay Drawn (LPD) irrespective of their date of retirement.

Those who retired after 1-1- 2006 are getting pension @ 50% of LPD, provided they rendered a minimum qualifying service of 10 years. But, for the pensioners who retired before 1-1-2006, Pension was granted at 50% of 10 months average, not of LPD. They got this 50% only if they had rendered 33 years of qualifying service.If they rendered 10 years the pension was reduced to 10/33.

Just compare the pension granted to a person retired on 31-12-2005 with 11 years of service and his junior retired on 31-1-2006 with 11 years of service: In both the cases, the pay was same Rs 12000.

The first man retired on 31-12-2005 got basic pension of Rs 2000.00

A NEWSPAPER REPORT

It is reported that Com. K C Malviya, Jabalpur District Treasurer of our Association

expired at Pune where he was with his son.

CHQ conveys its heartfelt condolences.

IT IS NOT BLACK MONEY....IT IS NOT UNACCOUNTED MONEY....IT IS OUR, PURE WHITE MONEY

[REPORT APPEARED IN INDIAN EXPRESS ABOUT SITUATION IN DIFFERENT STATES.]

WEST BENGAL

Across Kolkata, most of the ATMs were either closed or had the ‘No Cash’ sign outside. Many senior citizens were among those standing in long queues outside banks. “My son is a central government employee and hardly has time to withdraw money from the bank or ATM. By the time he returns from office, the cash is over at the ATM,” said Nimai Ranjan Bose, 70, a retired school teacher who was waiting outside a private bank on Christopher Road.

At the Bank of India branch at Pithoria, nearly 25 km from Ranchi, Trilokinath Dubey, 76, was waiting for his turn to withdraw his pension. The retired SSC grade clerk wanted Rs 13,000. “I came in the morning from my village, Bukru, which is five kilometres away. They said there was a cash problem and asked me to go to another branch nearby. There, they told me to withdraw only Rs 6,000. But I was carrying only one cheque of Rs 13,000. So I went home and have come back again,” he said, hoping that he would not have to return on Friday.

There were numerous complaints in Bengaluru of banks restricting customers from withdrawing their weekly limit of Rs 24,000. At many banks, customers were told that they could only withdraw Rs 4,000-Rs 10,000. “I gave a cheque for Rs 20,000 but was told I can withdraw only Rs 4,000. There was no cash in the ATM as usual,” said an IT sector employee.

Long lines were seen from early morning outside many banks around Bengaluru. To ease the pressure, many firms handed out small fractions of salaries in cash. For many small establishments, pay day is on December 7 or 10, and companies in sectors like the garment industry which employ large numbers of women are hoping the cash crisis will ease by then.

ANDHRA PRADESH & TELANGANA

While many ATMs remained closed, most of the ATMs which were open ran out of cash within hours on Thursday morning, leading to long queues outside banks. But hundreds of people who skipped work to stand in the queues were left stranded as bank officials came out and announced there was no cash.

“I don’t know what to do now. I don’t have any cash. I don’t know how to pay my domestic help. I joined this queue at 9:30 am, taking half-day leave, but I have to return empty-handed,” Kiran Ratanpal, a techie waiting outside an HDFC ATM at Hitech City Road.

“My landlord has refused to accept cheque or online transfer to his account. He is demanding cash… I can’t skip office everyday to stand in line,” said Sai Venkat, HR manager at a pharmaceutical company.

Hours after the banks opened in the morning, scuffles were reported as managers handed out the last 50 tokens. “We have run out of cash. We filled Rs 12 lakh in the ATMs and it is over now. We cannot do anything until we receive more cash which may take a day or two,” said an HDFC official at Jubilee Hills.

MAHARASHTRA

The crowd of customers at banks on the first day of the month wasn’t as expected, but bankers said they expected larger crowds on Saturday. “As pay day fell on a weekday, most people would be at work. But Saturday may see a surge of people,” said an official of HDFC bank in Kandivli East in suburban Mumbai. What may have helped is that many companies also tied up with private banks and installed micro ATMs at their offices.

The banks also saw a surge in customers from the unorganised sector who usually receive their salaries in cash. “My employers did not want to spend the cash they had, and gave me a cheque,” said Sumita Prasad, who works as a domestic help.

Many banks across the city ran out of cash. Most ATMs near Nariman Point were shut by mid-afternoon as cash had dried up due to withdrawals in the morning.

PUNJAB & HARYANA

With banks and ATMs running out of cash, people in different districts of Haryana were left cashless on pay day. Some Group C and D government employees, however, were provided Rs 10,000 cash as part of their salaries. In most districts, people stood in long queues outside banks and ATMs. There were many pensioners in the crowd. A few hours after they opened, most banks in Doaba region of Punjab ran out of cash. “We could disburse cash to about 300 customers, but there is a huge queue outside and we have no cash,” said a PNB official. Most of the ATMs too were empty before noon.

GUJARAT

The Bank of Baroda (BoB) branch in Kantharia, Bharuch, locked its gates for some time on Thursday afternoon, following an altercation with customers after it ran out of cash. On Wednesday too, police had to intervene in a confrontation between bank officials and customers at the bank’s branch in Mohammadpura, Bharuch city.

“Today, we have disbursed Rs 15 lakh to about 150 account holders,” said Shrikant, manager of the BoB branch in Kantharia.

In Vadodara and Ahmedabad, several branches ran out of cash despite the careful rationing. Bank managers complained that the cash reserves provided by the RBI for pay day were insufficient to meet the demand.

An official of a nationalised bank in Mandvi area of Vadodara said about 300 customers had queued up within the first working hour on Thursday. “Our cash reserves won’t even be enough for 15 per cent of the crowd that we saw this morning. The shortage forced us to restrict withdrawals to Rs 10,000 each, and, in some cases, even Rs 5,000. We are telling customers to opt for cheque transactions and e-payments,” he said.

“We are facing an acute cash crunch… the situation will take a few more weeks to ease. We received only 20 per cent of the cash reserves that were needed to meet the withdrawal demand… The withdrawals are strictly capped at a maximum of Rs 10,000 per account,” said an SBI official.

“I had to wait for an hour. When I went in, I was told I would get Rs 10,000 against my current account. I need at least Rs 24,000 to pay my employees. Even three weeks later, we are begging for money from our own accounts,” said Jignesh Shah, a trader.

MADHYA PRADESH

While the SBI branches in Bhopal saw long queues, most of the other banks did not report any unusual turnout, according to sources in the state-level bankers’ committee.

“There were no reports of banks running out of cash,” said an SLBC official, adding that customers who withdrew money in the last three weeks have not deposited it.

Some people in M P Nagar, the commercial hub of Bhopal city, said some bank branches did not allow them to withdraw more than Rs 10,000. As for the ATMs, most of them either ran out of cash or dispensed only Rs 2,000 notes.

In rural areas, many disappointed customers had to return empty-handed.

RAJASTHAN

People in some areas like Gandhinagar said they left their homes early in the morning to stand in queues to draw their salaries. Waseem Javed, 25, who works in the telecom sector, said he had taken half-day leave to stand in a queue on Thursday. “This is the sixth ATM I have come to, the others either had long queues or were shut,” he said.

Malik Fahad, 24, who delivers goods for online shopping portal Amazon, said he earned only Rs 6,000 in November, while he usually earns about Rs 14,000. “I give about Rs 3,000-4,000 to mother, Rs 1,000 to my sister, and about Rs 2,000 as godown rent. Now I not only have less money, but am also unable to withdraw it,” he said.

Chandra Prakash, 33, who runs a small jewellery manufacturing unit, said he needed to pay his workers. “I live in Subhash Chowk area and employ seven persons. I pay most of my workers in cash, as quite a few are illiterate and don’t have bank accounts,” he said. “But paying their wages now is a problem.”

Mohammad Altaf, 28, who runs his own business in Ghatgate, said he was only allowed to withdraw Rs 5,000, though he has to pay 10 employees. “The businessman who gives us work cleared all my pending payments after November 8 in demonetised currency. I had no option but to pay my workers in old currency. But since they couldn’t exchange the notes at the banks, they exchanged Rs 1,000 notes for Rs 800. Their wages will be delayed this month,” he said.

UTTAR PRADESH

Despite the drop in morning temperature, hundreds of people, young and old, queued up outside ATMs and banks on Thursday. Some cases of scuffle and protests were reported from some cities.

“Even if I stand in ATM queues for almost a week, I won’t be able to withdraw enough to pay the salaries of my domestic workers. At the bank, I was asked to take only Rs 8,000 against my demand of Rs 20,000,” said Shalini Sharma in Agra.

Despite the preparations for pay day rush, there was chaos at the SBI branch in Tajganj area of Agra, where the bank opened almost an hour after its scheduled time due to lack of cash. In the afternoon, protesters blocked the Agra-Achhnera highway as most banks ran out of cash. Similar protests were also reported from Dhanauli area of Agra.

In Mathura, a 65-year-old man who was standing in the queue was reportedly beaten up by a policeman.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

With the state government disbursing only one-third of its total monthly salary bill of Rs 900-1000 crore to its nearly 4.5 lakh employees, and nationalised banks allowing payment of Rs 10,000 in cash to central government employees and army personnel at their respective establishments, there was no unusual rush at bank branches and ATMs across Jammu on Thursday.