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AN AGENDA FOR 2017

[Editorial of Pensioners Patrika, March 2017]

AIBSNLPWA has a definite agenda for the year, 2017. The agenda is not for its members alone. It is for the entire BSNL fraternity, already retired and yet to retire.

1. Based on the Cabinet Note submitted by Department of Telecom, the Government granted benefit of 78.2% IDR for pension revision of those who retired before 10-6-2013. Cabinet Note submitted by DOT specifically states that DOT shall issue instructions to all for extending the benefit to the concerned pensioners before 31-12-2016. DoT failed to honour its commitment. DoT failed to provide the infrastructure to complete the work within the stipulated time. Pensioners are not responsible for the shortage of staff in CCA offices. AIBSNLPWA demands that the pension revision with 78.2% IDR should be completed without any further delay.

2. Once the work is over, AIBSNLPWA will raise the demand for the benefit from 1-1-2007. We do not want to create any impediment for the ongoing process of pension revision.

3. Principal bench of CAT has given a clear judgement in the case of Pension Anomaly, filed by AIBSNLPWA. When others were sleeping over it we were working hard. Court has observed that the respondents have no ground at all to deny the benefit. Since the impugned order dated 15-01-2003 itself is quashed, the relief granted by CAT should reach all the 4000 plus pensioners in the country.

4. Similarly, the relief granted by CAT Ernakulam bench to BSNL pensioners in the matter of counting extra increment should be extended to one and all placed in similar situation in every Circle. AIBSNLPWA is the first applicant in that case too.

5. Those who retired after 1-1-2006 got pension @ 50% of Last Pay Drawn, on rendering a minimum of ten years of qualifying service. But, those who retired before 1-1-2006 got the pension @ 50% of ten months average pay, that too on completion of 33 years of service. Imposing such a cut off date for grant of any benefit is nothing but negation of the Supreme Court order in Nakara Case. Any body retired before 1-1-2006, with ten years service, should get pension @ 50% of their LPD. There should be no discrimination on the basis of date of retirement.

6. Last but not the least; the most important demand of BSNL pensioners is that there should be a stable system for regular revision of their pension along with all other Central Service pensioners in India.

Above are not the issues concerning members of our Association alone. They are the demands of all the 1.8 lakh BSNL staff retired and also the 1.6 lakh BSNL staff to join our ranks very soon. AIBSNLPWA works on this agenda.

TUMKUR IS A SMALL SSA, NEAR BANGALORE. IT HAS ONLY 220 BSNL PENSIONERS.

AND OUR BRANCH IN TUMKUR SSA HAS 181 MEMBERS AND ALL ARE LIFE MEMBERS. THAT IS THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE OF TUMKUR HELD ON 11-2-2017 WAS ADDRESSED BY COM. GANGADHARA RAO (DY.GS) AND COM. R CHANGAPPA (CS, KTA).

The District conference elected unanimously comrades N D S Jois, R Jayashankar and Shafiqulla Khan as District President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

CHQ congratulate the Tumkur comrades for the great achievement.

Some useful information about filing Income Tax returns are given in the attached File.

Please click on this link: it-faq.docx

On 6-2-2017 a new branch is added to our Association in Bidar district of Karnataka. About 50 pensioners attended the formation meeting. Com. P Gangadhara Rao (Dy GS), Com. K G Deshpande (Org Secretary, CHQ), Com. R Changappa (CS KTA),Com. Ranganayukulu (DP, Bangalore) and Com. Khalid (DS of Gulbarga) attended the meeting and addressed it.

Com. Deshpande speaks.

A well attended general body meeting was held at Gulbarga, Karnataka today. Com. P Gangadhara Rao (Dy GS), Com. K G Deshpande (Org. Secretary), Com. R Changappa (CS, KTA) and Com. Ranganayukulu (Bangalore Dist. President) attended and spoke in detail about various issues.

Bihar Circle Conference was held at Ara on 29-1-2017

Comrades D N Choudhary, Shamshad Ali, A K Singh and S S Prasad have been elected as Patron, Circle President, Circle Secretary and Circle Treasurer respectively.

Two pictures

Labour Bureau of India is the authority to compile the data received from various centres through the National Sample Survey Organization and prepare the Indices for various categories.NSSO people collect the price of several items from different shops in 78 cities and towns in India. The average index for 12 months in 2001 is taken as 100 points for fixing Index.

Based on the above Index of 2001=100 points the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPIW)

... ... ... for October was 278 points.

... ... ... for November was 277 points

... ... ... for December it is 275 points.

Labour Bureau has released the figures for all the 78 centres, as usual. When compared the figures for November and December 2016, it is seen that the Index has increased in few cases like:

Mysore, Karnataka: from 281 to 283 (November to December)

Ernakulam: from 269 to 272

Mundakayam (Kerala) from 282 to 285

Quilon in Kerala from 297 to 303.

The Index has come down in most of the centres. Few examples are given below (November to December):

Munger, .... 308 to 302

Bhilai ... ...... 313 to 308

Vadodara .... 267 to 258

Nagpur .... .... 311 to 303

Rourkela .... 300 to 290

Lucknow ....... 279 to 271

This has affected the rate of CDA. This will have impact on our IDA effective from April 2017 also.

There is no change in the Income Tax Slab. Those who are having annual tax payable income of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, the rate of tax is reduced to 5% from the existing 10%. Relief is up to Rs 12500 per year. Same relief is given to those having annual income over Rs Five lakh also.

It is a welcome proposal.

WORDS AND DEEDS

THEY PROTESTED AGAINST PRICE HIKE OF LPG CYLINDER THEN. THEY WERE IN OPPOSITION.

NOW SAME PEOPLE HAVE HIKED THE PRICE OF LPG CYLINDER.

THIS IS POLITICS.....

IT IS REPORTED IN MEDIA THAT THE NET LOSS OF BSNL DURING THE NINE MONTHS (APRIL TO DECEMBER 2016) STANDS AT Rs 4890 CRORE.

EARLIER,THERE WAS A CLAIM OF OPERATIONAL PROFIT.

STILL THERE IS NET LOSS. IT MAY BE AROUND Rs 6000 CRORE FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

Labour Bureau of India has released the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) for December 2016. It is 275 Points. 2 Points less than that of November 2016.

Based on the last 12 months AICPI, the Central DA shall be assessed as 4 % from January 2017. Many expected that it would be 5%.

Central Govt employees and Central Service pensioners (Like DoT Pensioners) will get 4% of their new revised Pay as CDA from January to June 2017.

VELLORE SSA UNIT OF OUR ASSOCIATION CONDUCTED A MEETING ON 28-1-2017 AT KATPADI. MORE THAN 175 COMRADES ATTENDED THE MEETING. Two photos:

TAMILNADU CIRCLE AND CHENNAI TD CIRCLE JOINTLY ORGANISED A SPECIAL MEETING ON 27-1-2017 AT CHROMEPET, CHENNAI . COM. P S RAMANKUTTY, COM. D GOPALAKRISHNAN, COM. G NATARAJAN, COM. K MUTHIYALU, COM. M GOVINDARAJAN, COM. V RAMA RAO COM. B MURTHY AND COM. PATTABHIRAMAN (NFTE) ADDRESSED THE GATHERING. MORE THAN 500 COMRADES ATTENDED THE SPEC IAL MEETING

ODISHA CIRCLE CONDUCTED ITS CIRCLE CONFERENCE AT BHUBANESHWAR ON 25-1-2017.

COMRADES P S RAMANKUTTY, G NATARAJAN ,VITTOBAN,J K TRIPATHY AND COM. R N SINGH (CS OF JHARKHAND CIRCLE) ATTENDED THE CONFERENCE.

Two photos of the conference;

Com. Natarajan inaugurates the conference

a view of delegates in Odisha conferenece

Consequent upon bifurcation of Andhra in to two separate states as Andhra and Telengana, BSNL also bifurcated the circle in to two. A new CCA office was formed at Vijayawada. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are in Telengana Circle. Vijayawada, West Godavari and Visakhapatnam are in Andhra circle.

In view of the above changes, our Andhra circle Unit decided to change the organizational set up. A Circle conference of AP held at Vijayawada on 22-1-2017 took the final decision. New sets of office bearers for Telengana and Andhra were elected unanimously, giving birth of a new circle Unit for AIBSNLPWA.

More than 650 comrades attended the Open session held at 10 AM on 22-1-2017. The Hall could not accommodate all the participants and hence seating arrangement was made outside the hall and proceedings had to be shown on a wide screen for the participants. Few photos are given below:

GS, COM. NATARAJAN INAUGURATES THE AP CONFERENCE.

A VIEW OF THE AUDIENCE INSIDE THE HALL

COM. P S RAMANKUTTY SPEAKS

COM. R CHANGAPPA, CS OF KARNATAKA GREETS

ON THE DAIS: COMs. KONDAIAH, VITTOBAN, NATARAJAN, GM(HR),

M R S PRAKASA RAO, V V S MUYRTHY, P S RAMANKUTTY, K S K RAO

NEW OFFICE BEARERS OF TELENGANA WITH CHQ LEADERS

NEW OFFICE BEARERS OF ANDHRA WITH CHQ LEADERS

Both Com. Natarajan (GS) and myself are leaving our stations on 20-1-2017 to attend the Circle Conferences of Andhra and Odisha. We will be coming back only after a week. Hence, during the period, up to 29th instant, there shall not be any new posting in this website. If there is anything urgent and very important, we shall post the matter during our tour.

.... P S Ramankutty

ODISHA BSNL PENSIONERS PROTEST

BSNL Pensioners of Odisha protest against the unhelpful, negative attitude of CCA of Odisha circle in the matter of implementation of Cabinet decision on 78.2%. A protest dharna ws staged in front of office of the CCA on 18-1-2017 under the banner of AIBSNLPWA.

KERALA CIRCLE UNIT OF AIBSNLPWA ORGANISED A MASSIVE RALLY IN THE OFFICES OF CGMT AND CCA, KERALA CIRCLE

ON 18-1-2017 PROTESTING AGAINST (1) THE DELAY IN SETTLING 78.2% CASES.

(2) DELAY IN SETTLING MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT CLAIMS BY PENSIONERS.

Com. D Gopalakrishnan (Vice President) inaugurated the Rally and explained the cases of 78.2% and Pension Anomaly.

Com. P S Ramankutty (President), Com. R N Pada Nair (Circle President), Com. T P George (Circle Secretary) and Com. G Madhusoodhanan Nair (Postal) addressed the Rally.

It is further clarified that the new rate of subscription to avail CGHS facilities shall take affect from 1-2-2017 instead of 1-1-2017 as stated earlier.

Government has issued orders doubling the rate of subscription to be paid by the CGHS beneficiaries (central government employees and pensioners) to avail the CGHS facilities.

Present Rate ... ... ... New rate from 1-2-2017

Rs 50 p.m. ... ... ... ... Rs 250 p.m.

Rs 125 p.m. ... ... ... ... Rs 250 p.m.

Rs 225 p.m. ... ... ... ... Rs 450 p.m.

Rs 325 p.m. ... ... ... ... Rs 650 p.m.

Rs 500 p.m. ... ... ... ... Rs 1000 p.m.